YORK, Pa. -- Tuesday night a teenage boy is shot in the back. Early Wednesday morning, another teenager is shot and killed. Two shootings only hours apart, out of a dozen within the last few weeks alone.
A search of the city's police log turns up about a hundred of those shooting incidents ranging from shots fired to injuries suffered. Some say bringing that number down will take work from more than just the police.
Stop the Violence co-founder John Beck said "I mean I go out almost, every night, and I feel safe, for the most part, but then there's certain areas you just don't want to go through. Then again, these shootings are so sporadic, that you don't know where it's going to happen."
York City Council Vice-president Michael Helfrich lays some of the blame for the violent crimes on feelings of hopelessness.
"So we need to show people out in the neighborhoods that we are working for them, we are trying to do things for their kids, and their teens, get them to have a chance at success," Helfrich said.
While some push to stop the violence, the York mayor's office also encourages people to not let fear stop them in their tracks, but to get out and explore the city.
York director of community relations Equina Washington said "we encourage our community to look at the positive things. Look at the vibrant things, look at the energetic things that are occurring in our community, in the city of York. There may be a small fraction of negative things, look at the large fraction of positive things going on in the city of York."
"A lot of people are scared to come to the city, and I get it. I mean, they keep seeing these reports of shootings going on," Beck said.
Putting an end to serious crime in york might not be a walk in the park which is why some say it will take a group effort from law enforcement and everyone in the community.
"Crackdown on the worst of the violators, the worst of the criminals, and then use that hand in hand to to try and give opportunities to those that have committed crimes, but we want to try and help rehabilitate," Helfrich said.
"Get together, do things, set up neighborhood watches, march, do what I do, go out and rally up, and send a message of peace," Beck said.
The website Neighborhood Scout shows some critical statistics on crime in the city.
It shows York is safer than only 11 percent safer than other U.S. cities, and that a person is nearly three times more likely to become a victim of a violent crime in York than Pennsylvania overall.