Roanoke, Virginia – Following an incident in Northeast Roanoke that left two individuals wounded in a shooting, local authorities have been grappling with the stark reality of violence within the city. This occurrence materialized merely hours subsequent to police reports indicating a decrease in violent crime across the city.
In the early morning hours of Wednesday, around 3:30 a.m., the echo of gunfire was reported near a gas station situated on the 3600 block of Plantation Road Northeast, according to the Roanoke City Police. Officers who arrived on the scene did not encounter any victims or culprits, though signs of the violent event were evident in the damages sustained by the business.
Shortly thereafter, two men presented themselves at local medical facilities, exhibiting gunshot wounds of a non-fatal nature. This incident occurs in the wake of Roanoke Police Chief Sam Roman addressing the Roanoke City Council during a public safety briefing on Tuesday afternoon. He illuminated the fluctuating crime rates from 2018 to the present day.
In the period between 2021 and 2022, violent offenses such as homicides and aggravated assaults escalated by 22.41 percent, while overall crime witnessed a rise of 14.36 percent. Chief Roman stated, “Very tough year for violent crime,” adding, “This is a number that we are always endeavoring to reduce. This is the phenomenon that we are seeing across our country.”
Nevertheless, a comparative study of crime statistics from the ongoing year of 2023 with the previous year, 2022, exhibits a downward trend, with violent crime decreasing by 11 percent and an overall crime reduction of 13.86 percent.
Attributing this trend to concerted efforts, Chief Roman said, “This is really the result of hard work. Not just of the department, but all of the efforts that we have going through the city to include Star City Safe, to include collaborating with our prosecutors and our judges.”
However, one crime category that has shown a worrying increase is firearm thefts. Notably, Southwest Roanoke has witnessed a substantial uptick in these crimes, marking an 85.71 percent increase from 2021 to 2022.
Chief Roman encouraged the community’s assistance in addressing this challenge by utilizing the department’s online reporting system for minor offenses, which aids in conserving valuable time and resources. He expressed, “We would love if our citizens would use our online reporting.”
In the pursuit of resolving Wednesday morning’s shooting, any individual possessing relevant information is urged to get in touch with the Roanoke Police at 540-344-8500.
