By Mark Hansel
NKyTribune managing editor
City officials are urging community members to come forward with information after four people were shot, two fatally, in four days in a Covington neighborhood.
Kenton Commonwealth Attorney Rob Sanders (at podium), urged members of the community who have information on the shooting incidents in the East 13th Street neighborhood to come forward. Covington Police Chief Bryan Carter and Mayor Joseph Meyer also called on the community to assist police in the investigations (photos by Mark Hansel).
Mayor Joseph Meyer, Police Chief Bryan Carter and Kenton Commonwealth Attorney Rob Sanders provided details of the two shooting incidents in the vicinity of 13th and Wheeler Streets at a press conference at City Hall Wednesday afternoon.
Meyer said his thoughts and prayers go out to the family members and friends of the shooting victims.
“To the members of the community whose lives have been disrupted by this recent violence, you have the full weight of the City’s resources at your disposal,” Meyer said. The perpetrators of these acts of violence will be held accountable. I urge members of the community to have information to please come forward.”
At around 1 a.m. Saturday morning, Lazuri Collins, 24, of Covington, was shot in the area of East 13th and Wheeler avenues and later died at UC Medical Center. Her father, Antonio Collins, 41, also of Covington was shot during the same incident. He was treated and released at UC Medical Center.
Tuesday, at approximately 7:40 p.m., police responded to a call of a verbal argument involving a group of people in the 300 block of East 13th Street. As they were approaching the scene, the call was upgraded to a shooting.
When police arrived they found two males on the ground with gunshot wounds.
Antonio Bandy, 25, of Covington, was transported to a local hospital, where he died. Bandy’s father, Marcus Broadus, 40, of Covington was still being treated at a local hospital at last report. His condition is unknown.
“Chief Carter and his team have been working tirelessly since the first shooting on Saturday, Meyer said. They have the full faith and support of the Covington City Commission.”
Carter said the senseless violence needs to stop and it needs to stop now.
A memorial near the site where two Covington residents were killed and two others injured in separate shooting incidents in a span of four days.
“Our community should not and cannot needlessly lose another member,” Carter said.
He thanked members of the community who have cooperated with the police during these investigations and in previous incidents.
“This cooperation will hopefully increase and continue,” Carter said. “That’s what we are asking for and that’s why we are here today. We really need the members of the community to call us when something doesn’t seem right, or this is an obvious violation of the law.”
Police are still not sure if the two incidents are related, the motives behind them, or who the shooters are.
“People in the community know who the shooters are,” Carter said. “We are asking these people to step forward with information, which will help us lock these people up.”
The Kenton County Police Department, the local FBI office and the Kenton Commonwealth Attorney’s office are assisting in the investigation. Covington Police, with assistance from the Kenton County Police Department, have stepped up patrols in the area.
Carter said the majority of the residents in the neighborhood are good people and it’s a good community.
“None of us want to see East 13th Street devolve into the haven of a violent crime it was for a short time in the 1990s,” Carter said.
Sanders said he has spent the last 24 hours working with law enforcement to try to determine the identity of the gunmen.
“We will not let fear divide us, we will bring closure to the community and justice to the victims,” Covington Mayor Joseph Meyer
“When violent crime happens in Covington, or anywhere in Kenton County, for that matter, every last resource is poured into finding out who is responsible and bringing them to justice,” Sanders said. “I assure you that is happening in this case.”
Both shootings took place in front of large groups of bystanders, Sanders said, so there are people in the neighborhood who know the identity of the gunmen.
“There are plenty of people who know exactly who these shooters are, that can come forward and give police a name,” Sanders said. It doesn’t do enough to chat about it on Facebook, or pass around text messages to rumors. Police cannot make a case on that…they need somebody to come forward and say, ‘I was there, I saw the person do it and this is who it was.’”
Carter acknowledged that fear of retaliation might make some people reluctant to come forward, but said the best way to send a message to others that would commit violent crimes is to bring these gunmen to justice.
Meyer said Covington is a resilient community with vibrant neighborhoods, and residents need to work together to prevent these tragedies from happening on its streets. He is confident that will happen.
“We will not let fear divide us, we will bring closure to the community and justice to the victims.”
Contact Mark Hansel at mark.hansel@nkytrib.com
