A 65-year-old man was killed in a shooting on the 2100 block of Griffin Drive Friday morning, according to Vallejo police and the Solano County Coroner’s Office, marking the city’s seventh homicide this year.
Officers responded to the shooting at approximately 9 a.m. and administered medical aid to the victim, who died at the scene. The Solano County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as George Lee of Vallejo.
There have been other recent shootings in the area, including two near Kings Market & Liquor on May 3 and June 11, which left at least two people injured. In January, a 4-year-old was critically injured by gunfire approximately three blocks away from Friday’s shooting.
Vallejo police announced in a press release that the Integrated Health and Resource Team (IHART), a mobile team of social workers and medical professionals that responds to community crises, provided outreach to the surrounding neighborhood.
Three IHART staff members went door-to-door to speak to people who live near the shooting scene and answer their questions about the incident, program manager Rayvon Williamson said in an interview Friday. IHART staff was also able to connect police to information provided by community members.
“In general, what IHART really tries to embody and represent is that we’re serving the community, and we want to show up in the way we wish that individuals would show up for us in a time of need, or just when there is a lack of information,” said Williamson.
The IHART team helps to provide a connection between the community and the police, said Sgt. Rashad Hollis, Vallejo police spokesperson, in an interview Friday afternoon. “It helps provide resources to communities affected by gun violence who are too afraid to speak to the police or receive resources from the police,” he said.
The motive and circumstances of the shooting remain under investigation by Vallejo police, Hollis said.
