Neighbors concerned by shootings at Washington Gardens
Parents in Elkhart are fed-up and frustrated with randomshooting outside their doors. (WSBT Photo)
ELKHART, Ind. (WSBT) — Parents in Elkhart are fed-up and frustrated with random shooting outside their doors.
Last night, a 16-year-old was shot in the hand.
A teen was shot and critically injured three weeks ago.
Police were there before that when bullets damaged nearby properties.
People living at Washington Gardens are scared. Scared of more gunfire and scared of getting in trouble if they speak up against a neighbor.
Elkhart Police are increasing their presence once again at the public housing complex along Chapman Avenue.
Along with more patrol units, officers will have a substation in one of the vacant units as soon as next week.
All of this is to combat the gun violence but also to get to the root of what's causing it before the summer.
"Anytime the weather starts getting warmer, people are outside gathering. There's obviously more of an increase with it when you implement or when you introduce gunfire into an area where people are hanging out,” said Chief Dan Milanese, Elkhart Police Department.
One mother says she braces for gunfire when it gets warmer.
She's lived there for the last 5 years and has never known a summer without it.
The woman was outside on her porch when the shooting started.
"When I saw smoke, it was coming from a gun and then I rushed in the house to check on my son, and you could just hear more shooting. We just stayed upstairs,” said the anonymous resident.
She says there were at least 30 gunshots.
Elkhart Police couldn't confirm or deny that, or say if it was targeted, but tell WSBT they've made headway into the investigation.
However, no arrests have been made.
"We should be safe where you live, you know... when I just don't understand have all these cameras in. They should have someone looking at these and you know catching this stuff," said a resident.
The Executive Director for Elkhart Housing Authority says there's a total of 297 cameras across their properties.
One of their biggest challenges is identifying where criminal activity originates.
"We don't know if it was caused from someone who doesn't even live in the community that brought it to the community or someone visiting one of the residents,” said Angelina Washington, Elkhart Housing Authority Executive Director.
Angelina is encouraging renters to join a resident council since she says communities are only as safe as you make them.
The housing authority also has its own anonymous tip line, 574-389-FIX9 (3499)
