Shooting in Lancaster City

[Armed_in_Lancity]

It just keeps getting worse. Rick Gray has done nothing to this city but tear up the sidewalks and get harsher on gun owners while crime soars and virtually goes unreported to the public. There was a shooting up the block from my house that never made the news. Anyone living in the city, help me out this November and let get this guy out of here!!


http://www.wgal.com/news/21296567/detail.html

LANCASTER, Pa. -- Two men were shot Wednesday afternoon on a Lancaster City street.The men were shot and taken to the hospital after neighbors said a fight broke out.
Police have closed off the 400 block of South Duke Street (see interactive map below) and are at scene investigating what happened.
Multiple gunshots rang out just after 3 p.m.
There was a fight somewhere else, but then it moved to South Duke Street where someone was firing a shotgun, neighbors said.
Police do not know if the men shot each other or if they live on the block.
Police are at scene looking for any blood spatter, gun marks or shell casings and they are also looking for witnesses.
"There was a large group of people congregating in the area and watching the events unfold; however, no one has come forward to tell us their side of the story," said Sgt. Damon Greathouse, of Lancaster city police.
The men were not taken to Lancaster General Hospital by ambulance, police said. Instead they showed up at the ER in a green Acura.
Police have roped off an area at the hospital as part of the investigation.
There is no word on how seriously the men are hurt.

[KMcL]

WGAL had coverage at 6 and 11 last night...

[keystoneman 85]

This is why I don't go in the city - it makes me sick. If I have to get to the southern end of Lancaster I will take 741 and go out of my way and around Lancaster City. Heck, I think Lititz is getting worse ... time to move north.

[Yellowfin]

I've been observing a lot of discussion about Lancaster going downhill, that gangs are moving in, etc. Could I ask why? What has made crime come to there? And if the cause was preventable, why was it allowed?

[theshadow]

I've been observing a lot of discussion about Lancaster going downhill, that gangs are moving in, etc. Could I ask why? What has made crime come to there? And if the cause was preventable, why was it allowed?

One of the explanations I've heard through official channels is that when the heat gets to bad on one or more member in Philly or even NYC/ N.J. the wanted individual will move west to our area, and hide out in the smaller cities of Lancaster, Lebanon and York, waiting for the smoke to blow over back "Home" these same people often will return later looking to expand their "Territory" in a city that isn't used to the "Big City" type criminals.

How true that is, I'm not sure, but we're also seeing increase in MS-13 members coming up from Washington area as well, so may have some merit.

[30Glock]

I recently was there at Kings st, I expected to see a nice quite community, But wow let me tell you, a couple of blocks in that area reminded me of Allentown.

[duane1]

I think some blame lies on landlords renting to anybody. Employers hiring because of cheap labor. Folks not joining together to fight crime. I like Ted Nugents thinking There are no repeat offenders only dead offenders

[lorrel]

I've been observing a lot of discussion about Lancaster going downhill, that gangs are moving in, etc. Could I ask why? What has made crime come to there? And if the cause was preventable, why was it allowed?

The downfall of Lancaster started in the mid 50's. It started actually in the Northeast United States as a result of the industrial collapse. This was an upward move for Lancaster because the farming industry did not have enough workers in the canning industry here in Lancaster, so migrate workers left the larger cities for Lancaster. Years later during the 1960's, the cannery-based food industry lost out to the emerging dairy and poultry industries, which produce better profits for investing farmers. As time went on, more and more migrate workers flocked to Lancaster for work. This steady influx increased the size of a couple minority races to the point of overcrowding in the city. During the 70's alot of white families moved to the surburbs due to the overcrowding. Those houses in the burbs decreased the size of the farming area, which lowered the need for workers.
The 1980 census showed that 92% of Hispanics are Puerto Ricans. Puerto Ricans are now coming from two sources- from New York City and other big East Coast towns and from Puerto Rico. Lancaster Hispanic population more than doubled in 1980. Due to the growing Hispanic population the district school has more minority students than white students. Two decades ago Hispanic overtook Blacks as the largest minority group in Lancaster.
The county experienced a significant growth in recent years witnessing a sprawl and loss of farm land.. The population has increased by 80% from 1950 to 1990 and has lost 159,000 acres of farm land; 4,000 acres per year which is the size of the city of Lancaster. Puerto Ricans have been the minority that has more contributed to the increase of population of Lancaster City, but the matter that may have contributed more to the loss of farm land as well as new construction is the movement of the White population out of the city.
The bottom line is now with all these people and not enough jobs, well you can figure out the problems.

[ErSwnn]

As I see it, part of the problem is a youth culture which idolizes "gangsta" lifestyles. Flip through the music channels and you see so-called artists giving a message of cynical visuals, violent actions and stupid wealth. Then we have video games pounding the same into young minds. In all that is a lack of parental involvement guiding kids past the fantasy aspect of such videos and games. Add to that a judical system that allows for repeat offenders to be given pshyco-social driven lienancy and a recipe is complete for a thriving criminal enviroment. IMO the crux of this problem are the parents. They are first in line to teach and control their children.

We now have a large segment of the population who are accepting of life as violent, dog-eat-dog and they are breeding another generation who is going to know nothing else. Schools are nothing more than law mandated warehouses, police are the enemy, the law abiding are the weak. Their crimes aren't what makes them guilty, getting caught is the crime.

We can't weed these people out under our current judical system. I've always liked the 3 strikes idea and think it should be expanded to the prison side of the issue. A 3 tiered system. First time we'll lock you up in a reasonable facility with pastel colors, productive activities, educational opportunities, madatory GED for release......and run like a bootcamp. Very strict, very regimented. Next offense gets you what we have today, harsh surroundings, less privledges. You'll still be able to rehabilitate, be offered schooling and/or training, but the bootcamp method will remain. No need for GED classes, you'd still be in the nicer place since GED is required for release. Last stop is a place with no inside guards. You get thrown in and are never coming out. Food and such will be tossed over the wall regularly with whatever we have available. You can go ahead and create a society more within your thinking and it doesn't matter to us outside. Kill, rob, rape...whatever, not our problem anymore. You've had two solid chances to rehabilitate yourself and let them pass you by. We, the people whom you have violated have had enough of you and your disruption to our lives, we are done with you. We have spent enormous amounts of money and given you two chances to make yourself productive. No more. Your life will now be just as you visualized it, short, violent and lawless. And no longer our problem.

I know, this sounds very Draconian. But given that the average citizen is paying huge amounts of money and then continue to be victimized, that our children can't wear this color or that color, that scum now controls where we can go (and those places our tax dollars paid for) and that our loved ones have become violent crime statistics, the Draconian exists as part of our free society and should therefore be better contained to specific places, not randomly sparsed throughout our lands.

[duane1]

Well said, Thank you. It's a shame too, I remember as a child in the sixties and early seventies you could walk anywhere in the city and be safe. Now the only time I feel safe is when carrying. And still there are places I won't drive through.