As if the scores of addicts of all ages using various substances in the open throughout the day all along Ellis isn't evidence of a major failure of societal and governmental systems? I'm saddened by this tragic addition to the skyrocketing homicide problem in our city.

Either we accept that the mayor and SFPD are essentially condoning open drug dealing and usage and designate those blocks to be "safe zones" a la Christiania in Copenhagen or fictional Hamsterdam in "The Wire", move the addicts into empty storefronts with facilities to use their poison in a relatively clean space where their bodily functions won't have to be performed in public OR we aggressively lock up the dealers who prey on these unfortunate souls.

As it is I can't imagine how tough it is for the real citizens of the neighborhood, working people with families, to walk down that street everyday. Why should they have to suffer because the cops can't have a real plan to address the obvious problem of street dealing?

A human being has died, & we really don't know anything about his mother, so let's can it on the criticism of involved or affected individuals so long as we don't know who they are/were or what they are/were like. Just recognise that some fellow San Franciscans are experiencing some seriously painful loss, right now.

I think we have a few murders to go before we get to infinity.