Savannah suffered a surge of gun violence over the weekend with nine shootings reported from Friday to Sunday night, two of which were fatal.

Savannah-Chatham police do not believe any of the incidents are related, but a number of the shootings involved what Police Chief Joseph "Jack" Lumpkin called risky behavior. Now, police said, many of the victims aren't cooperating and witnesses aren't coming forward with information.

"We're troubled by the number of incidents as well as the fact that many of the victims of these shootings have been uncooperative with investigators, patrol officers and detectives," Lumpkin said. "... We continue to ask for our citizens' assistance in calling us when they see something, calling us with information they may have regarding any of these incidents.

"If you saw something as a citizen, let us know. If you saw something or know something, please call or contact us as we go about trying to keep you, the citizens and visitors of this community, safe."

Echoing Lumpkin's plea for the community and witnesses to come forward, Maj. Larry Branson, who heads the department's criminal investigation division, said the department will not tolerate this type of activity.

The community, he said, must weigh their fear of giving information to the police against their friends and family members dying in the streets as a result of gun violence.

"This violence goes across ages, races and geographical boundaries into different neighborhoods, but these acts of violence indicate that there is a deeper problem beyond what the police by itself can do, beyond what the public as itself can do but in fact we've got to work together to make this a safer community," Branson said, "If anyone in this community knows anything about any of these crimes, you can report those crimes anonymously, and we urge you to help us stop the violence in this community... We are in a state of emergency."

Both men said community involvement remains the biggest challenge the department faces when trying to solve these types of cases and said investigators will continue to move forward, working relentlessly on the cases.

"The challenge is, and will continue to be, to get citizens to participate in maintaining their safety. We have some clues, and we're following the evidence. That's what police officers do... We're going to solve these cases," Lumpkin said, "We have some good clues, but we need citizens' support."

Anyone with information about any of these incidents is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 912-234-2020 or text CRIMES (274637) using the keyword CSTOP2020. Tipsters remain anonymous.





Nine shootings in three days

• Two subjects got into an altercation in the parking lot at the Quick Stop at 1450 W. Bay St. just after 8 p.m. Friday and one person shot the other.

• A 22-year-old male was found dead from an apparent gunshot wound just before 4 a.m. Saturday a car on the 2200 block of Hudson Street in the Hudson Hill neighborhood on the city's west side. Officers believe the victim knew the shooter(s).

• Just before 4 a.m. Saturday officers were called to 40th and Live Oak streets on a shooting call. The victim is not cooperating, and police said no one has come forward with information.

• A woman suffered a gunshot wound to the leg about 4 p.m. Saturday when a firearm held by a 14-year-old discharged through the floor in a home on Brandon Lane on the southside. Police do not believe the shooting was intentional.

• About 4 p.m. Saturday metro police responded to the 1500 block of Maryland Avenue on the eastside. The victim was hospitalized in serious condition. Police say they have no information on this case.

• A man was shot at a mobile home park in unincorporated Chatham County about 7:30 p.m. Saturday night. Police said two people who knew each other got into an altercation at Riverview Mobile Estates off Lucas Drive and one was shot in the arm. He was taken to a hospital for treatment. An arrested is expected.

• A man suffering from a gunshot wound showed up at Candler Hospital just before 1:30 p.m. Sunday. The victim said he had been walking in the woods along Ga. 204 and someone shot him. Police said the victim is not cooperating.

• The second fatality of the weekend happened around 6:45 p.m. Sunday night at the Westlake Apartment complex. Police have identified 25-year-old Willie Lee Bostic as the victim, but said no witnesses have come forward despite a heavy pedestrian presence in the area.

• A man suffering from a gunshot wound showed up in the central precinct on Bull Street around 9:30 p.m. Sunday. Police said witnesses heard a single shot, but no one has come forward with further information. The victim is in critical condition.