San Francisco supervisors address spike
in deadly gun violence

By Brent Begin, Bay City News Service

February 13, 2007

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) - Two San Francisco supervisors addressed a recent spike in gun violence before the Board today, dedicating the meeting to three recent homicide victims.

Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval read a statement today mourning the loss of Jennifer Merritt, who was mysteriously shot in the back of the head two weeks ago as she rode her bike in the Ingleside Heights neighborhood.

Sandoval said many people were "touched by her life and passion," and she was a "smart, witty and beautiful" woman.

Police said they are baffled by the murder, which occurred Jan. 31 around 6 a.m. Merritt, a native San Franciscan, loved to roller-skate at Golden Gate Park and was an avid outdoorswoman, according to Sandoval. She died Sunday.

Minutes after Sandoval read his statement, Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi acknowledged two more homicide victims who lost their lives over the weekend.

Mirkarimi said he did not sleep over the weekend in which there were six shootings in the Western Addition, resulting in the death of two men, Tony McDougal, 33, and Anthony Hunter, 24.

In the midst of the weekend's bloodshed, a 13-year-old girl was shot in the back and another man received a life-threatening wound.

Authorities immediately announced that they would send specialized units, investigators and sheriff's deputies to the area, but Mirkarimi said today that wasn't enough.

He said that murders in his district are a larger problem for the entire city, and he suggested looking into sending officers from the Police Department's airport division into the city to help combat crime.

There have been 16 homicides in San Francisco in 2007.

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