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Mayor Lenny Curry ‘Mad As Hell’ About Recent Spate Of Shootings

Ryan Benk
/
WJCT News
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, Sheriff Mike Williams, Councilman Reggie Brown and local artist Kaytee Esser call for an end to violence Monday.

After a weekend shooting took the lives of two women and an infant, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny

Curry said he’s renewing his commitment to public safety.

On Monday, Curry called for an end to senseless violence and for the community to help fight crime.

Standing in front of the Portraits of Hope exhibit, which memorializes 100 local kids lost to violence, Curry told reporters he’s incensed.

“I got the news last night, and I continue to be mad as hell. This has to stop. (I’m) committed to providing the resources that we need. I am not going to grow weary. The sheriff is not going to grow weary,” he said.

Officers received a call Sunday evening of multiple people shot in a car parked across from the Cleveland Arms Apartments in Moncrief.

The victims were 11-month old Tedashi Williams, his mother Kadejah Williams and 18-year-old Xacia Burnem.

Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams said there were other children present at the time of the shooting. He implored the community to come forward with any tips.

“If anybody has any information, not only about the shooting at Cleveland Arms, but any shooting over the weekend, please come forward. Give us that information. Tell us what you know,” he said. “What little bit of information you may know may be the last little bit of information we need to solve some of these cases.”

There were seven shootings over the weekend in Jacksonville, according to City Councilman Reggie Brown.

Mayor Curry said he’s beefing up the police force and crime prevention programs like theJacksonville Journey.

If you have any information, police ask you to call First Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-8477.

Reporter Ryan Benk can be reached at rbenk@wjct.org, at (904) 358 6319 or on Twitter @RyanMichaelBenk.

Ryan Benk is a former WJCT News reporter who joined the station in 2015 after working as a news researcher and reporter for NPR affiliate WFSU in Tallahassee.