YOUNGSTOWN - Three women are recovering after being shot early Sunday morning near Uptown Beverage on Market Street.

Despite the number of people who were at the scene before, during, and after the gunfire, few people have come forward with information.

In Youngstown, the lack of cooperation is nothing new.

In news conferences and interviews after major crimes, like the shooting death of 10-year-old Persayus Davis May and the double homicide on 680 in 2023 that killed Kylearia Day and Marquis Whitted, city leaders and police plead with the public to come forward.

But that starts with trust. So is the city doing enough on its end to build those relationships before violence breaks out? 

Despite acknowledging the trust gap for years, a spokesperson for Mayor Tito Brown said the administration is not prepared to answer questions on how their approach can be adapted.

Guy Burney, director of Community Initiative to Reduce Violence (CIRV), stated that community members often alert authorities to issues, but there are still many who are fearful. 

"When you're fearful and when you don't know what the next thing is going to be, someone that you can trust makes all the difference," Burney said 

Youngstown Crime Stoppers allows people to provide information anonymously. Sixth Ward councilwoman Anita Davis said police need to reassure the community about its anonymity. 

"And just keep emphasizing 'We can keep the information confidential', " Davis said. 

Burney said his organization is expanding their efforts to younger kids.

"We're doing conflict resolution with fifth graders [...] we're taking them away to camp, because I think part of this whole issue is that people have to understand how to handle conflict better. Like, all conflict can't end in gunfire," Burney said.