Man, 30, Shot Dead In The Annex

Makes me want to stay out of New Haven . It's not safe; targeted or not!

The city has COVID relief funds… please use them to make improvements and not to pay people to do the same jobs that haven't improved the quality of this city, in terms of crime!

And also, are the details regarding the lawsuit against CSHHC relevant?

MOMADVO-- thanks to NH's tying the hands of police like many other leftist towns; the police are here to make the report and file the papers on crime. Bikers rule our streets and criminals rule the neighborhoods now. SOMEBODY had to take charge and when the authorities cower in fear, criminals know what to do. Hope everybody who wanted to defund and hogtie the police is happy!!
Authorities don't need more money--- let them do their jobs!!

It seems as if this person HAD made it OUT of New Haven but couldn't keep himself OUT of New Haven. It is too easy to keep contacts when you are trying to make it out. Cutting ties is difficult for a lot of people. If you want to make it out, you have to get out and stay out. But remember that if trouble follows you, it wasn't the city that brought you trouble but yourself. And you must change yourself if you want different outcomes.

trying to remain anonymous--- wise words for those with ears to hear.

...Anonymous is correct. Wherever you go, there you are.

Sadly violence has been occurring across America long before talks about defunding police. Defunding police, AGAIN, is about REDUCING a massive police budget (multi millions in overtime alone) and REALLOCATING some of those millions toward resources to support community needs. There are useless police connected programs being funded as well because there is no accountability for positive outcomes. In both cases neither are preventing violence. They simply report on it. Most murders go unsolved even though millions in overtime are invested in investigations . When the community demands better they will get better. In the meantime the community continues to suffer trauma after trauma.

TryingToRemainAnonymous- too true, but sometimes you're just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and someone else in the crowd is the target, or you're just arguing or defending yourself with your words, and somebody else decides to escalate it with a gun. It's not always because you're living a life of violence or crime, or that you're hanging with the wrong crowd.
I had a friend who was shot dead in the back as he turned to walk away from an argument, because the other young man felt "disrespected" because he turned to walk away from the dispute. Sometimes even when you turn the other cheek, hurt people can hurt or kill people.
MomAdvo and challenge have got it right, socially invest in meeting people's needs, and demand change and accountability.

I am of two minds about the NHI newly habitual listing of all victims of gun violence at the end of the article about every new one. I understand that this is done (I think) primarily so as to address the "why do Yale students' deaths get more press than an average residents'?" concern and I also think this practice reminds us that gun violence is an epidemic, too. On the other hand, sometimes it takes away from the poignancy of reading about the most recently deceased. And this presumably will be the NHI's practice until the gun violence epidemic wanes, which, sadly, seems to only ebb and flow in my lifetime.

On a somewhat related note of things that don't change, although gun violence wasn't the topic of the 1989 Spike Lee film Do the Right Thing, I happened to watch it last night and it seemed pretty prophetic. It begins with newspaper headlines blaring about the hottest day of the year, and an elderly wise man notes that someday soon the world will be uninhabitable due to climate change while every one else dismissed him. Then, racial tensions erupt over a pizzeria owner who honored only famous Italian Americans with pictures on the wall, and not Blacks, as his neighborhood was changing. This reminded me of the controversy in Wooster Square over the Columbus statue, granted that Michael Corleone is only a fictional murderer not a real one like Columbus was. The film ends (spoiler alert, so stop here if you wish) w/ the neighborhood in flames after the police choke-hold death of a large Black man, who reminded me of George Flloyd and the BLM incidents of last summer. The movie was so prescient I remarked to my partner: "the more things change, the more they stay the same." So it seems w/ gun violence.

I hope this man's family find's peace.

I look at the comments, and wonder if anyone saw a person in the photograph. To his parents, no one deserves this level of grief, and pain. I am sorry for your pain, and your loss. So many young people are walking around at risk but don't understand how fragile we all are. That they are not disconnected from those that love them, and the pain, which they would not want their parents, spouses, partners, children, siblings, friends, Grandparents to ever feel will come to them for the remainder of their lives, when one of their family, is severely hurt, or as in this case, murdered. I am sorry for his family, friends. I am sorry for the life so many young adults from poor and working families find themselves "playing" in. This young man was New Haven. He is just one of hundreds, at risk, who are finding their way, with the resources available to them, in THEIR lives. And a very real part, the deadly gang culture, that continues to be allowed to live within the city, is a cancer. Has been a cancer. But there is a cure. Those who's children who will be most susceptible to contracting this cancer, have to allow the "cure" to be used. RIP Zaire Luciano.

bassmaster- I lost two people that I knew, (that I know of, there may be more,) to violence in this city. I am very familiar with the pain of untimely loss from violence, and I am completely sympathetic to their loved ones loss.
But I am tired of "thoughts and prayers" and I am tired of people not doing anything tangible to help these young people. I went to school with, worked with, and played with and knew lots of young people in the city struggling to avoid street violence and poverty and bad home situations and bad influences in our city. It's very hard to change things when the culture has to change and the opportunities and role models we look up to need to change.
I'm also tired of people who have absolutely no idea what these young people are up against and who haven't worked, played, grew up with and gone to school with people like these young people at risk, and think that it's just a simple choice and not a daily struggle to choose a different path from the ones your friends or family are choosing, and those who like to waggle their fingers and preach morality and talk about "those people" as if it was their destiny or an innate character flaw instead of helping make a difference and challenging society's priorities to make these young lives better and safer.
I'm also tired of our society's worship and profiting off of guns and weapons and violence and machismo as entertainment in so many venues. Until we change our culture of violence, how can we be surprised when people die from those who choose to follow the path being promoted that so many are entertained by and profit from?

Dear Heather--- changing the violent climate of our culture. WOW That is a tall order and many well-meaning folks have tried and failed to do this. I do know that less police is not helping. Any other ideas?