CLEVELAND — As the investigation into Sunday morning's mass shooting on West 6th Street in downtown Cleveland continues, the city's mayor and police chief were live with 3News' Russ Mitchell on Monday afternoon.
Nine people were injured in the shooting that took place just prior to 2:30 a.m. at West 6th Street and Johnson Court.
"(It's) Very frustrating, very sad and angry about the level of violence we are seeing in our city," Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb told Mitchell on 3News at 4. "I know we're better than this as a people. I know we're better than this as a community. We have a lot of work to do to change the culture of guns, not just in Cleveland, but across the state and across the country."
In the meantime, Cleveland Division of Police Chief Wayne Drummond said while there is no one in custody for the shooting, investigators are tracking down "good leads" while utilizing surveillance camera footage and tips from Crime Stoppers. Drummond added that he was hopeful to be able to provide additional information to the public in the near future.
Watch the full interview in the player below:
The mass shooting comes amid what has been a violent year so far in Cleveland. So far, there have been 70 homicides in the city, compared to 63 at the same time a year ago. Despite the uptick, Bibb believes that his policies are not failing. "We have a gun problem and solving violent crime is a complex, nuanced issue. We are doing everything we can at City Hall and will continue to do everything we can to get violent criminals off our streets. But we have more work to do and everyone in our community must step up."
During his remarks on Sunday, Bibb blamed some of the gun violence in Cleveland on the GOP-led Ohio General Assembly, specifically pointing to the passage of the state's permitless concealed carry law last year.
On Monday, the Ohio Republican Party responded. "Our hearts go out to the victims of this senseless crime, and it is sickening to see Mayor Bibb play politics rather than doing everything in his power to stop the violence in our city," said Cuyahoga County GOP Chairman Lisa Stickan. "Elected Democratic leadership—including Mayor Bibb and the City Council—have a dangerously understaffed and under-supported police force, resulting in rising crime and dangerous conditions for residents and business owners. It is time for Mayor Bibb and the elected leadership to address these issues and take responsibility."
The GOP also called the mass shooting "another example of skyrocketing crime under Bibb's watch. For the first four months of the year, felony assault is up 25%, sex offenses are up 22%, robbery is up 19% and theft is up 23%. Also, the number of stolen cars has more than doubled."
"We have a dangerous flow of illegal guns flowing into our city and there are state policies and federal policies that have made it hard for us to track down that flow in our community," Bibb told Mitchell. "I know that the lack of common-sense gun laws in our state are a major driver to violent crime."
Both Bibb and Drummond had a message for citizens who are concerned about the crime in downtown Cleveland. "Don't give up hope. Don't give up the fight," Bibb stated. "We have dedicated men and women working around the clock to keep Cleveland safe. They're passionate about their jobs and day in and day out, they work extremely hard."