Police Identify Columbus Ave. Homicide Victim

November 13, 2008

By Boris Sanchez

Syracuse police have identified the body of a homicide victim killed in a shooting last night. Officers found Khalic Pitts, 32, on the corner of Columbus and Lexington Avenue after responding to a "shots fired" call around 9 PM. Pitts, who was a resident of 210 Palmer Ave., was rushed to University Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Police have made no arrests in relation to the shooting and say that so far, they have no witnesses.

But, many residents, like Naima, who lives on the corner of Columbus and Lexington, were awake at the time of the shooting. Naima said she heard three shots outside her window at about 8:45 PM and she “immediately hit the ground and took cover.” After a few minutes, she says she glanced outside her window and saw a man lying face down on the ground, but didn't see anyone near him.

Others like Joe, the owner of Lexington Market, heard the shots, too. Lexington Market is located down the street from the shooting, but Joe says he saw a number of men walking away from the area after he heard shots fired. He adds that a few minutes before he heard the shots, he saw a number of police cruisers driving nearby. He adds that he's upset someone was shot despite police being in the area.

“It's a damn shame,” Joe says. “They could've spared his life.”

Another nearby resident, Deidra McCollum, said she heard the shots, but paid little attention to the commotion outside. McCollum has lived on Lexington Ave. three years and she says that violence in the neighborhood is something she's grown accustomed to.

“Every couple of months they're shooting. They're always shooting. Every time I turn around, they're shooting. With the drugs and them fighting over this and that - It just makes it harder to raise your kids on this block,” she said.

Deidra is the mother of an 8-year-old boy and she says that he's the reason she hopes to move out of the neighborhood early next year.

This is the 17th homicide in Syracuse this year. Police are asking anyone with information on the shooting to come forward confidentially by calling their hotline at 315-442-5222.