Rochester politicians call for systematic change after deadly triple shooting

Rochester, NY (WHAM) – Police have arrested two suspects in connection with a shooting that left a teenager dead and two others injured Monday, and now local politicians are calling for change.

Rochester police tracked down two suspects, both convicted felons, on Thursday night. The two were arrested in connection with a shooting in Hazelwood Terrace that left 19-year-old Rukia Isaack dead.

Two other teenagers were also injured.

Investigators found 21-year-old Nasesire Horton and 21-year-old Quentin Riviere in a house where cocaine and marijuana were allegedly being sold.

Captain Frank Umbrino of the Rochester Police Department's Major Crimes Unit said both suspects were on parole at the time of the shooting and had just left the courtroom before being rearrested.

“Investigators are working around the clock,” Umbrino said. “Everyone complains about the system, but those who can change it are asking themselves: What do you do?”

Umbrino again called for changes to parole conditions. In 2022, the Less is More Act dramatically changed the conditions under which parole evaders can be held in custody for violations.

“Violent people need to be detained,” Umbrino explained. “Let's provide them with the services that will rehabilitate them. If they can't be rehabilitated, they need to be detained.”

Jim Vanbredrode, the Republican candidate for the state Senate, joined calls for statewide change in Rochester, followed by fellow candidates Tracy DiFlorio and Marcus Williams.

“The state owes the victim's family an apology. There is no excuse that you can't walk down a public street in Rochester at five o'clock in the afternoon and take a bullet like that,” Vanbredrode said. “Law enforcement has lost its ability to lock up the bad guys.”

Vanbredrode continued to appeal to lawmakers. “There is a time for restorative justice. There is a time for social justice. But not everyone is qualified for that… One (suspect) had been arrested multiple times for some crimes two weeks before this murder. When is enough, enough? We need to get our state legislators, our senators and our representatives to talk about what the responsibility is to protect our citizens from some of these violent felons.”

A spokesman for State Senator Jeremy Cooney responded to Vanbredrode by saying:

“Since his first election to the Senate, Senator Cooney has pushed for policy changes to strengthen public safety and reduce community violence. He has provided record funding for police departments to remove illegal guns from our streets and stood up to some in his own party who called for cuts to police funding. This work earned him the title of Legislator of the Year from the New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association last year. While Senator Cooney is fighting for these reforms in Albany, his opponent has not called for significant changes to our federal gun safety laws or proposed concrete solutions proven to reduce violent crime in our community.”