Nov. 2022 Multiple Shootings In WPB
November 22, 2022
Below you will read excerpts from reported stories by TV Channels 29 (WFLX), 25(WPBF), 5 (WPTV) and Channel 12(WPEC) concerning multiple shootings in WPB in Nov. 2022. I have included the links if readers wish to read the entire story. You will find two stories by Channel 12 and the story published 11/18/2022 Reporter Al Pefley traveled to the area to interview residents living in the crime infested area for their opinions, and I urge readers to read the interviews.
One of the shootings included a WPB Police Officer and an armed suspect in the area where the first 2 shootings took place. I don’t know if the cop was a male or female, black or white, and I don’t care. The armed suspect was reported as a male, and again I don’t know if he was black or white nor do I care. What I do care about is one of them went home that night and one was admitted to the hospital. I’m happy the cop went home to his family.
What you will not read are stories by the PB Post, simply because none were written on the multiple shootings. WHY? In my opinion the Post will once again endorse Mayor James for re-election and Nov. was a bad month for the mayor so deceiving your readership to promote their agenda, which is re-electing James is necessary. What the PB Post does publish is the PB Post Homicide Tracker and can be found at the end of the story. I broke it down for readers and here are the figures since James was sworn in April 4, 2019.
Murders in 2019 (12), 2020 (15) including a 1 year old baby, 2021 (23), and 2022 (17) which included another listed as Baby Kaleb 1 year old and the year isn’t over.
Nov. 14, 2022 WFLX Channel 29 3 injured in 3 separate shootings in West Palm Beach.
Law enforcement agencies are investigating three shootings that injured three people near downtown West Palm Beach Monday afternoon, including an 8-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy. The third shooting involved a West Palm Beach police officer.
The first shooting occurred just before 3:30 p.m. in the 900 block of Fifth Street off Tamarind Avenue. That’s where he says a 17-year-old male was shot, and suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Shortly after, at 3:38 p.m., the police department got another report of shots fired at the intersection of 13th Street and Tamarind Avenue, near the Kareem’s Food Mart convenience store. that’s where the 8-year-old girl was shot. Her injuries were also not life-threatening. The third shooting happened at 3:43 p.m. at the intersection of 15th Street and Windsor Avenue, a few blocks away from the second shooting. A West Palm Beach police officer was forced to fire at what he called “a violent 22-year-old male armed with a gun.”
https://www.wflx.com/2022/11/14/3-injured-3-separate-shootings-west-palm-beach/
Nov 18, 2022 WPBF channel 25 Man injured in West Palm Beach after string of shootings in less than a week
A man was shot Thursday evening in West Palm Beach, officials say. This comes after multiple shootings in Palm Beach County this week, including a man being wounded in a police shooting, and two separate but connected incidents where minors were shot. One of them was 8 years old. West Palm Beach police said the Thursday night shooting happened on 14th Street and Division Avenue. The victim is an adult male. There is no word on his status at this time.
https://www.wpbf.com/article/florida-west-palm-beach-man-shot-string-shootings-this-week/41999695
Nov. 16,2022 WPTV channel 5 3 shootings less than a mile apart.
Reverend Benjamin Carrol of Greater Antioch Missionary Baptist Church said it’s obvious what’s triggering the recent rash of shootings.
“You’ve got poverty, you’ve got joblessness coupled with, not to sound preachy, but hopelessness,” he said. What he strives to do with his church is outreach connecting with kids who are in need of guidance. “I tell the congregation our responsibility is to be involved, be in that mix with them,” he said.
Nov.17,2022 WPEC Chanel 12 Man shot in West Palm Beach, 8th shooting of the week. The West Palm Beach Police Department responded to a shooting on Thursday night. Officers said at 8 p.m. an adult man was shot at 14th Street and Division Avenue.
Nov. 18,2022 WPEC Chanel 12 Police looking for help from public to solve shootings in West Palm Beach.
“West Palm Beach Police are investigating another shooting. The eighth one this week. The most recent shooting happened Thursday night and police have no information on whether it’s connected to Monday’s violence. But detectives hope someone in the area will come forward with a tip that could lead to an arrest.
“All I know is I hear something say pop, pop, pop, pop. And my grandson say, my great-grandson say grandmama! That’s gunshots. I say sure enough is,” said Johnnie Mae-Wilkerson, a West Palm Beach resident. She heard several gunshots Thursday night at 14th Street and Division Avenue in West Palm Beach, while she was inside her home watching TV. Police say a 37-year-old man was standing by his car when he was shot about 8:30 p.m. Thursday night. He’s hospitalized in critical condition.
“This neighborhood used to be a peaceful and nice neighborhood and now it’s goin’ to pieces and it’s sad,” said a woman who lives near the scene of Thursday night’s shooting. She did not want to be identified.
Police officials are urging people to come forward with information so they can solve these crimes.
But locals, including the woman who asked not to identified, say many people don’t want to talk to police officers. “I just think they just don’t want to say anything. They want to mind their own business,” she explained,” she said.
“You would say most people here are reluctant to help the police?” we asked Roger Jeffers, who lives near the scene of Thursday night’s shooting. “I would say that they’re not going to. They don’t like what’s going on but what are you gonna do?” said Roger Jeffers, another resident.
“People don’t say anything because they’re afraid, they’re afraid of retaliations,” said Chris Edwards, another West Palm Beach resident.
One example of just how little help law enforcement can expect in this area — last April a 16-month-old child was hit and killed by a stray bullet while he was sitting in the backseat of his parents’ car not far from where the shootings this week happened.
“Do you think people around here are willing to help the police or talk to the police to try to solve these shootings?” we asked a resident who would only give his first name, Jay. “I don’t think so. Why not? Because you know people don’t want to be involved in anything. They don’t want to be involved in any other situations that don’t really involve them,” Jay said.
But either way, as far as finding out who’s doing these shootings, police seem to be on their own.”
The police will never solve these crimes without the help of residents, and residents will never have peace without the help of the police. They must work together, but when residents are afraid of retaliation from criminals where’s the answer?
PB Post Homicide Tracker below.
https://apps.palmbeachpost.com/homicides/
Happy Thanksgiving to All
The end!