ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Two people were shot and killed early Thursday in downtown Rochester, according to police officials, making 2021 the deadliest year on record in the city’s history.

Authorities say officers responded around 3 a.m. after two people were shot in an apartment building Chestnut Street. Police Officials identified the victims Friday as 22-year-old Tywan Harper, who lived at the address, and 19-year-old Malakai Smith, a Town of Greece resident.

“Both victims were found in the stairwell going between floors,” said Rochester Police Capt. Frank Umbrino.

The police captain said there are no suspects in custody, but added that there is no threat to nearby residents as it pertains to this incident. Umbrino said police cleared all eight floors of the building to make sure it was secure.

“I don’t have a motive for the shooting at this time, I don’t know who the suspect or suspects are, but there is no immediate threat to anyone down here,” Umbrino said.

The police captain said there are cameras in the apartment building, and police are working with the property manager to secure any footage of the shooting.

“If you know something, please call us,” Umbrino said. “Obviously we have someone or some people who had no problem shooting and killing two people and if you hear anything please call us. We need your help to get this person off the street.”

Umbrino said there was evidence at the scene that indicted shots were fired on at least three floors of the building. The police captain said he doesn’t believe this was a random crime, but a targeted attack.

“It’s terrible,” Umbrino said. “It’s terrible for the people that live here. It’s terrible for the officers who have to walk into a potential active shooter situation. People are sleeping at 3 o’clock in the morning, they shouldn’t get woken up by gunfire outside of their apartment. It sucks.”

This shooting incident marks the 69th and 70th homicides in the city so far this year, making 2021 officially the deadliest year in Rochester’s history.

“We as a community need to stand up, put our foot down, and say ‘enough is enough,'” Umbrino said. “If someone knows something, they need to call us, because whoever did this, it could be your family member that gets killed tomorrow by the same people. So you need to get involved, you need to call us.”

According to Umbrino, the homicides per year in Rochester date back to 1970, as he added that record keeping in the past, and before then, wasn’t as reliable as it is in the present. The homicides per year in Rochester, according to police, are as follows:

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