It was about 1:50 a.m. on Sunday, November 2, when life as she knew it ended for 30-year-old Kitana Kendrick. On the quiet streets of northeast Rochester, near Pulaski Park and along Gothic Street, officers from the Rochester Police Department responded to reports of gunfire and found Kendrick lying in the roadway, struck in the upper body.
Despite hurried efforts by emergency personnel who rushed her to Strong Memorial Hospital, she was pronounced dead. Investigators say the bullet was not meant for her—Kendrick was hit by a stray round during a dispute involving a group of people who didn’t live on Gothic Street and with whom she reportedly had no role.
According to the police, the altercation began somewhere else and spilled into the neighborhood. Nearby residents awoke to the sounds of gunfire; when officers arrived, they found the victim in the street, and the scene quickly became a homicide investigation under the Major Crimes Unit.
No arrests have been made yet. Detectives are reviewing surveillance video, gathering physical evidence, and conducting witness interviews in hopes of identifying those responsible. They’re asking anyone with footage, photos or information to come forward—to call 911, the RPD Major Crimes Unit at (585) 428-7157, or anonymously tip Crime Stoppers at (585) 423-9300. Emails can also be sent to [email protected].
Kendrick was known in the community as a kind and warm presence, a resident of Rochester whose life was suddenly cut short through no fault of her own. Her death has sent shockwaves through the neighborhood—residents are grieving, asking how one moment of conflict could claim such an innocent life. Community leaders are renewing calls for peace, accountability and stronger support networks to prevent further tragedies.
Local advocacy groups are stepping in to support Kendrick’s family and using this heartbreaking incident to underscore the ongoing challenge of gun violence in the city. They note that meaningful change will require everyone’s participation—from law enforcement and community groups to families and young people—to build safer neighborhoods and open up better paths forward.
As the investigation unfolds and the city watches, the memory of Kitana Kendrick remains vivid—a reminder of how fleeting life can be when violence intrudes. Her loved ones mourn a daughter, sister or friend they won’t see again, while the wider Rochester community grapples with the loss of someone who should have had many more years ahead. Her family’s pain is deep, and the hope remains that justice will come, and healing will follow.
May her memory live on in the work to bring peace, understanding and safety back to neighborhoods like hers.
