We now know the name of the Nampa man shot and killed Saturday night. Police believe the murder was gang-related.
It's the fifth murder in Nampa just this year.
Police point to a number of factors driving the recent wave of gang violence.
20-year-old Isaac Bernal, who police believe was involved with gangs, was shot at a birthday party on the 17000 block of North Pegram way Saturday. He died at the hospital.
Police don't know who the killer is, except they believe it could be someone with gang ties.
Sergeant Jason Cantrell says any time there's a gang-related shooting, they worry about retaliation.
In September, a stray bullet killed a man near Buffalo Wild Wings in Nampa. Police think it's gang related too, but they say they believe the victim was not the intended target.
"Anytime you have gang violence, the community should be worried, right. So you should have your head up looking around, that type of thing, and just being aware, but we haven't seen an increase in random gang violence on community members," Cantrell said.
He's been on the gang unit for more than 20 years. He knows gang violence is a cyclical problem.
During the pandemic, when schools were shut, "there was just nothing for them to do," he said.
And that's when he says he saw a lot more kids join local gangs than ever before.
"Now you're seeing these juveniles that are now turning 17, 18, 19 years old, out involved in criminal activity, or gang activity, and we're seeing an increase in violence," Cantrell said. "Right now, we've seen people get out of prison, we've seen an increase in population, and then we've seen an increase with multigenerational family gang members out on the streets."
He also says overcrowding at the local jail and prison is another major part of the problem.
One day they'll arrest someone, "gun charges, assault charges, and they're out the next day," he said. "Before I come back on shift, and I'm dealing with the same person or persons, it becomes frustrating."
Cantrell it's not just up to police, but rather the entire community, to solve the problem.
"We as a community need to have zero tolerance, so that is keeping kids from being involved in gangs, so finding outlets - sports, drama clubs, band, you name it. Let's get them doing something different than being involved with gangs. We see gang activity, you see gang fights, we need you to be the best witness that you can be and call law enforcement," Cantrell said.
Cantrell says part of the department's zero-tolerance effort means going after people for drive drive-by shootings, assaults, gang graffiti, and putting as many resources as possible to inveintoigating those crimes.
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