Staff photo / Ed Runyan Capt. Jason Simon of the Youngstown Police Department, left, tells reporters at a news conference Monday that the police department has suspects in all three homicides that occurred over about 18 hours Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning. At right are police Chief Carl Davis and Mayor Jamael Tito Brown.

YOUNGSTOWN — Capt. Jason Simon of the Youngstown Police Department said the work of detectives and other law enforcement officers starting Saturday to investigate three homicides that took place within about 18 hours paid off.

“We have persons of interest or suspects in mind for all three of these cases,” Simon said of the homicide of a woman, 20, on McCartney Road Saturday afternoon, a man, 22, in the 1900 block of East Midlothian Boulevard Saturday afternoon and a man, 26, near a business at 2210 South Ave. early Sunday.

Little information has been provided regarding the woman’s death, such as what type of injuries she had or the time of the killing.

Lt. Mohammad Awad of the detective division said it does not appear that any of the three killings are related to each other. The identities of the people killed will be released by the Mahoning County Coroner’s Office once next of kin have been notified.

Simon, Chief Carl Davis, Mayor Jamael Tito Brown and Awad met with reporters at the Youngstown Police Department on Monday afternoon to provide information to dispel rumors and unwarranted concerns.

Simon said the public is not in danger from the crime wave, as all three killings appear to have involved “personal, directed motives for doing what they did. None of them were random.”

Simon said the killings seem to have stemmed from conflicts that ended in violence by people unable to resolve conflicts.

Awad said information given at the scene of the South Avenue homicide was determined to be false. He urged individuals against retaliating because of “something they heard on the streets.”

But he urged the public to come forward to police with information they may have. “If you hear something, please call,” he said. That homicide was reported at 4:41 a.m. outside of Miss Daisy’s Place. The man was found dead near the sidewalk with multiple gunshot wounds.

Police were called to Midlothian Boulevard at 12:30 p.m. Saturday for gunfire and a man who had been struck by gunfire. Police and ambulance personnel performed life saving measures, but the man died at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital.

Brown said of the three homicides close together: “We’ve not had a weekend like that in many years.”

Brown said the killings are especially difficult during the holidays. “It’s not easy having a loved one that’s not at the table, just to have a loved one taken away for the act of violence, so … my heart goes out to the families.”

The mayor said many police officers have been working “without a lot of sleep” to find the people responsible.

“We have witnessed three homicides, especially disheartening during this Christmas season,” Davis added. “Our officers, our detectives are working tirelessly to apprehend those responsible for these murders.”

Davis and Simon said the city has had a group of victim advocates from outside of the police department who have called on victims of crimes for a couple of years. They will be offering “guidance, counseling and any necessary resources to navigate through this tough time,” he said. Also assisting is Guy Burney of the police department’s Community Initiative to Reduce Violence.

Simon said detectives “are working very hard on these cases and they have been all weekend.”

He said generally homicides are handled by detectives who only work on “personal crimes.” They were working on these cases, but even detectives who don’t normally work violent crimes “stepped up and said this is unusual. I am going to go out and help the team,” he said.

“Not only did virtually the entire detective bureau work on one case or another, but we also partnered throughout the entire weekend with the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office, Mahoning County Violent Crimes Task Force and the patrol division to help investigate these crimes,” he said.

The three additional homicides brings the total for the year to 22 — two fewer than the city had in all of 2022.

erunyan@vindy.com