Fort Myers councilman speaks out against rash of gun violence

Councilman Johnny Streets urges people living in Fort Myers to speak out against back-to-back shootings as they did for racism and police brutality several weeks ago.

DETECTIVES BELIEVE THE INCIDENTWAS DRUG-RELATED.

SO FAR, NOARRESTS HAVE BEEN MADE.SILENCE IS BETRAYAL.THAT’S WHAT A FORT MYERSCOUNCILMAN WROTE IN AN OPENLETTER ABOUT THE CITY’S RECENTVIOLENCE... REFERRING TO THETHREE SHOOTINGS THIS WEEKKILLING ONE PERSON.JOHNNY STREETS SAYS PEOPLE NEEDTO SPEAK UP TO PUT AN END TO THEVIOLENCE.FOUR IN YOUR CORNER’S RACHELLOYD SHARES WHAT HE HAD TO SAY.RACHEL?:50 - :55(LLINTRO)COUNCILMAN STREETS IS CALLINGTHIS A PUBLIC HEALCONCERNEVEN COMPARING IT TO THECORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC SINCEINNOCENT LIVES ARE AT STAKE WHENYOU CONSIDER THE DRIVE-BYSHOOTINGS.

HE SAYS IT’S TIME FORPEOPLE TO TAKE A STAND AGAINSTTHE VIOLENCE.IT’S BEEN A BUSY WEEK FOR FORTMYERS POLICE.

THEY’REINVESTIGATING ONE SHOOTING AFTERANOTHER.

STARTING WITHDRIVE-BY SHOOTING SATURDAY THATLEFT ONE PERSON DEAD ON STATEROAD 82 AND ORTIZ AVENUE.THEN MONDAY TWO PEOPLE WERE SHOTAT THE JONES WALKER APARTMENTSJUST AFTER MIDNIGHT.

LATER ONTHAT NIGHT ANOTHER PERSON WASINJURED IN A SHOOTING ON SECONDSTREET.CONCERNED BY THE SEEMINGLYNONSTOP VIOLENCECOUNCILMJOHNNY STREETS WROTE AN OPENLETTER CALLED SILENCE ISBETRAYALWe say that we love our brothersand sisters, but why are wekilling them?HE APPLAUDED THE NATIONWIDEPEACEFUL PROTESTS AGAINST POLICEBRUTALITY AND RACISM.Let’s turn it around and say,you know, let’s have this"drive-by/stop the killingrally.

Let’s have this march tostop the violence and love oneanother.FMPD RELEASED A STATEMENT ASKINGFOR COMMUNITY COOPERATION TOMAKE AN ARREST.

FS Thisviolence is unacceptable in ourcity and the police departmentand the community need to wotogether to put thoseresponsible for this unnecessaryand tragic violence in jail.Then people want to talk aboutdefund the police department.No.

What do you think it wouldbe like if we didn’t have lawenforcement?STREETS TOLD ME THIS IS THE TIMEFOR EVERYONE TO SPEAK UPNOMATTER YOUR BACKGROUND.This is not a race thing.

Thisis not just black people.

Butapparently we get noticed mothan anybody else.Let it be over.

Let the deadrest in peace, for whatever thmeans.

But let’s not continuethe violence.(LLTAG)POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR A WHITEJEEP COMPASS THEY SAY WAINVOLVED IN THE STATE ROAD 82SHOOTING.

AND A DARK C