A respected community reporter triggered outrage at a memorial event in honor of recent shooting victims, which led to him being viciously attacked on Tuesday. The local reporter, Geoffery Rogers, had to face a violent crowd who attacked him using bottles and rods, leading to severe injuries, for which he had to be hospitalized, as stated by his mother on her Facebook account. Recordings of the assault indicate crowd members questioning Rogers’ presence at the event, with some insisting the incident be filmed and publicized.
Rogers, a 22-year-old resident of Rochester, carved a niche for himself in the community as a citizen journalist, beginning his endeavors as a teen of 14-years. He took to reporting crimes and fire incidents to his local community, providing real-time updates on social media and managing his personal news website that focuses on happenings within Rochester.
Rogers had been sharing live updates from a Sunday barbecue at Maplewood Park, which took an unfortunate turn as it became a scene of gun violence with two women fatally shot and another five wounded. He immediately sprang into action, recording the grim aftermath of the incident. Rogers later shared a video that involved resuscitation attempts being made on one of the deceased victims, though he ensured that the video was partially blurred.
The horrific Sunday shooting was not an isolated incident, with the weekend recording casualties from other violent events. This violent outbreak culminated into a volatile gathering on Tuesday, where the brutal attack on Rogers took place. The authorities initially received reports of Rogers being stabbed during the assault.
The police were swift to address the situation, arriving at the scene at 6.40 pm, subduing the tumult, and securing the whole area. The police, however, did not officially identify Rogers as the victim in the initial reports of the assault. As of now, investigations are ongoing, and no arrests have been made relating either to the brutal assault or the shooting incident.
The Rochester Police Department, in its quest to apprehend the perpetrator of the Sunday shooting, has sought assistance from the public to identify a person caught on camera armed with a gun during the incident. The person is believed to have been involved in the unfortunate shootout that claimed the lives of two women, leaving others injured.
LaCarla Carter, Rogers’ mother, being deeply affected by the incident, chose not to speak regarding the assault on her son but did make a public mention of the savage attack on her Facebook account. Assemblymember Demond Meeks of D-Rochester was given a special mention by Carter for his heroic intervention, which she believes saved her son’s life.
Meeks had been present at the violent scene that unfolded at Pulaski Park on North Street Tuesday, where he took it upon himself to step in to help Rogers. Expressing his own shock at the cruelty of the crowd, Meeks tried to control the situation, despite the growing unrest. He emphasized, ‘One cannot simply witness such inhumanity and not do something about it.’
Maintaining humility, Meeks dismissed notions of his act being heroic, instead presenting it as a duty towards fellow humans. Reiterating his strong belief in community solidarity, he extended the sentiment of ‘I am my brother’s keeper’. In his effort to protect Rogers, Meeks said he too endured a part of the onslaught but luckily escaped with minimal injuries.
Rogers has been a known figure in Rochester since the age of 14, earning recognition as an exceptionally young reporter back in 2016. Nevertheless, his journey wasn’t always smooth, having a history of a few encounters with the law enforcement. Some notable incidents among these include an alleged theft of a police vehicle in 2019 and recurrent possession of a taser.
Official records reveal that Rogers is facing two ongoing legal proceedings that include charges of reckless driving, burglary, and theft, consistent with New York law. Despite Rogers’ legal troubles, his dedication to citizen journalism and his community remained unwavering.
Following the unfortunate event, Rogers has decided to put his news outlet, GSL News, on pause, at least within the city’s limits. In a recent post on GSL News’ Facebook page, Rogers stated his decision, ‘GSL News will be suspending operations within the City of Rochester until we can ensure our staff and their family members are safe.’
GSL News has been appreciative of the citizen’s support in the past and looks to continue serving the community in the near future. While expressing gratitude, Rogers commented, ‘GSL News wants to thank the citizens of Rochester for their ongoing support. We look forward to being back on the streets in the coming weeks providing you all with news from Rochester.’