Five Shootings Since Start Of Month Rattle Norristown

NORRISTOWN, PA — July has marked an uptick in violence in Norristown, as a series of five shootings have rocked the borough. Authorities are on increased alert.

The two most recent shootings occurred over the weekend. Then there were a pair of fatal shootings in the beginning of the month, leading to the deaths of Christen Greene and teenager Jordan Scott. Another teenager was shot with Scott, but survived.

Thus far, there does not appear to be a link between the sets of shootings, although there were indications that the incidents of this past weekend could be related. Nationally, warmer months mark higher violent crime rates than the rest of the year, according to FBI data. Yet still, it’s distressing news for a municipality that is rapidly growing and that appeared recently to have turned a corner: in April, statistics released by the department showed a significant decrease in nearly all types of crime.

Here’s a rundown on recent events:

• On Thursday, July 6, 16-year-old Jordan Scott and a 17-year-old boy were shot by an unknown assailant on the 500 block of High Street. Scott, who was hit in the chest, passed away. The other boy was hit in the ankle and survived.
• On Sunday, July 9, Christen Greene broke into Santiago Villifan-Andrade’s apartment near the intersection of Lafayette and Green streets. Villifan-Andrade caught Greene in the act, but Greene pointed a gun at him then ran off. Villifan-Andrade chased him, and in the ensuing struggle grabbed the gun and shot Greene, killing him, authorities allege.
• On Sunday, July 16, in the early morning hours, a 22-year-old male was grazed by a bullet on the 1000 block of DeKalb Street.
• Later Sunday night, a 40-year-old man was shot in the left leg on the first block of West Marshall Street. A group of teenagers had been chased by police in the same area earlier in the day after they threw rocks at several older men.

"As you know, we’ve recently experienced a spike in gun violence," Norristown Police Chief Mark Talbot said in an email to Patch. "Our department is working hard to ensure that we continue to do what is necessary to create a safe community. In response to the violence, I’ve added several components to our crime reduction strategy."

Talbot said in a statement last week that the recent violence had, at that time, spurred changes to the department’s crime reduction strategy. On Wednesday, he told Patch via email that the department was committed to following through on those changes.

To begin with, police are working with other law enforcement agencies to track suspects. Increased patrols have been dispatched to areas of increased violence. High-ranking officers have been placed on call 24 hours a day to handle serious calls. A monthly violent crime meeting has been added to the department’s agenda. And finally, officers are engaging in “street mobilization” exercises around the borough to partner with residents and find ways to keep the streets safe.

Overall, crime has been dropping in Norristown. Among the most significant decreases is a 66 percent drop in rape: there were 17 incidents in the last two years, compared to 50 in the two years before that. Aggravated assaults have decreased 40 percent, from 410 to 247, and burglary has decreased 42 percent, from 783 to 453.

However, one category that has showed very little change, according to police data, is homicides showed very little change. There were nine incidents from 2014 to 2016, compared to 11 incidents from 2011 to 2013.

Police are continuing to investigate three of the shooting cases described above. If you have any information, please contact authorities at 610-270-0977, the anonymous tips line at 610-278-TIPS (8477) or at NPDTips@norristown.org.

Patch file photo