City leader calls on community after fatal shooting of teen
SOUTH BEND, Ind --- Authorities are investigating a deadly shooting that claimed the life of 19-year-old Ashanti Hines in South Bend, and now some city leaders are calling on the community for help.
It happened on the 1000 block of Yukon Street just before 10 p.m. Wednesday night. Investigators said Hines suffered from an apparent gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The latest tragedy marked more than a dozen fatal shootings this year alone in South Bend and more than three in the last two weeks on the city’s northwest side.
Two teenage girls, ages 14 and 16 were shot on North Kaley Street early Wednesday morning just minutes away from Yukon street.
Another teenager 15-year-old Tyler Brown, who is currently fighting for his life in the hospital was struck in the car with his father near Johnson and Elwood Avenue last week.
In the wake of all the recent violence, Brown’s uncle Pastor Canneth Lee who is also South Bend’s First District Councilman and a director of Group Violence Intervention (GVI) has called on every member of the community to step up.
“This is a moment for our city to decide that we don’t want to continue in this. The residents are upset. It’s affecting everybody of course my own family has been affected in the last week,” said Pastor Lee. “If we don’t stop it, if we don’t speak out against it then it’s going to continue. It’s very important that we come together as our community from the top down. People that know information they got to share it.”
Right now, authorities said no suspect information is available about Wednesday night’s shooting.
Officials have urged anyone with information about any of these recent shootings to reach out to Michiana crime stoppers 574-288-stop, where you can leave an anonymous tip without fear of retaliation.
Pastor Lee also told abc57 they plan to increase community outreach to young people in the area by providing support, education, and jobs in an effort to get violence off the streets.