Rochester, N.Y.— Years ago, Jose Ramos moved his family from the Bronx in New York City to get away from the violence. He settled in Rochester, in his words a calmer city.
However, he never expected his son would be the victim of violence in Rochester.
On Monday, Ramos’ son was shot in the head on Clifford Avenue after he left a corner grocery and was about to get into his car.
“When I approached [the scene] the police told me it was a head injury, a gun shot to the head and I was thinking the worst,” Ramos says.
Ramos was robbed and shot twice in the head. He is expected to survive.
Ramos says his son was not involved in drugs or gangs. The shooting, he says, was truly random and it makes the recent violence in the city more worrisome.
“The way things are going now, I can be walking down the street and I can get shot,” says Ramos. “They don't know any better. These are probably young kids trying to get initiated into a gang or whatever the case is, they don't care.”
A day after the shooting, the Rochester Police Department announced the “Cool Down” detail, a new campaign to add more patrols in the city and get guns off the streets.
While the details officially started on Tuesday, July 3, Rochester police tell 13WHAM aspects of the “Cool Down” detail were in place for weeks prior.
The department says the detail has shown signs of success and more data will be released in the coming days.
The Ramos family says they don’t think this new crackdown will really work.
“I don’t think police can be in every neighborhood at a time,” says Luz Ramos, “Whatever shootings there are, they are going to continue whether or not the police are there or not. I don't think this is going to work.”
Police have not made an arrest in the Clifford Avenue shooting, but say they are following leads.
Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 423-9300.
