Police are investigating a fatal shooting at the Chestnut Hill Apartments Thursday morning that officials said was likely related to a drug robbery.
Found with a gunshot would in the back, the victim, later identified as Francisco Santiago, 25, of the Bronx, N.Y., was taken to the Cayuga Medical Center and subsequently pronounced dead.
Witnesses said three men possibly involved in the shooting fled in a grey mini van, according to the Ithaca Police Department. IPD responded to a 911 call at 12:08 a.m.
The Chestnut Hill Apartment complex is approximately 10 minutes from campus.
A resident of the area who has lived by the apartment complex told The Ithaca Journal that he sees regular signs of drug activity.
“This is drug central,” the man, who requested anonymity, told The Journal.
Alderperson George McGonigal (D-1st Ward) lamented Santiago’s death and the effect of the shooting on the neighborhood, noting that the complex is “loaded with children.” He added that many of the parents in the area he spoke to said their children are now afraid to go outside.
“There are some young families that are doing a lot of work to improve things [at Chestnut Hill],” McGonigal said. “This really cuts the legs out from these efforts.”
Original Author: Jeff Stein