‘It’s a city problem’: Reaction to three men shot in Elmwood shooting

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Workers at some businesses like Mister Goodbar are disappointed by the shooting that took place at 2:30 a.m. Saturday morning on Elmwood Avenue, right next to their bar and other businesses.

A Goodbar worker calls on the city to intervene.

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“Yes, I am very upset. I am angry for the neighbors and the customers,” said a worker. “But it’s a city problem. It happened here, but it’s all over the city. There are just too many guns and the cops are overwhelmed, but there are too many people with guns.”

Buffalo police said three men in their 20s were shot outside during an alleged altercation.

They were transported to ECMC for non-life-threatening injuries.

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“This is just a random act of violence that seems to be happening more and more in places where you wouldn’t expect it to happen,” said one resident. “Especially here, most people come here to have fun and it’s peaceful.”

Others say this act of gun violence affects everyone in Buffalo.

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“I hear people screaming about a shooting in Elmwood, then a shooting in Hertel, then on Main Street and several on the East Side,” says Annatte Kemp. “It doesn’t matter where the shooting takes place. The problem is gun control. if we controlled guns, we could control what happens.

A worker with Every Person Influences Children, an organization that creates a safe environment for families and children, says it’s not just gun violence that needs to be addressed.

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“We have a people problem in the world. Yes, if you have this weapon in your hand, there is a good chance that someone will use it in the wrong way,” says Anthony Pierce, program coordinator. “And it’s not just about mental illness, it has to do with their upbringing and their past.”

Buffalo police are still investigating this incident.