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'He really is gone': Tucson gun violence taking a toll, even as numbers improve

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Ryan Fish is KGUN 9's Midtown and Downtown Tucson reporter. Send your story ideas to Ryan at ryan.fish@kgun9.com.

TUCSON, Ariz. — Priscilla Pfeiffer can’t help but smile talking about her son, Richard “Richie” Wojtasik, who also went by “Pocket.”

Two years ago this month, he was shot and killed at the Royal El Con apartment complex in Midtown at only 31 years old.“I thought hardest part was the first month or two,” she told KGUN. “It gets harder. Because you start realizing he really is gone.” “ see it on the news… and then they forget about it,” said Pfeiffer. “The next day, there’s another one. You know, there’s another one… have to deal with it every day.”TPD Assistant Chief Chris Dennison says the numbers were staggering back in 2020 and 2021.

Homicides, mostly gun-related, have fallen more than 30% in three years, according to TPD. Non-fatal shootings are also down.“But I also believe wholeheartedly it is the efforts of the men and women within the department,” said Dennison. “The programs that have been established that we’ve been pushing for, that have been hugely impactful.”

 

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