HOUSTON – Bullets rip through a Third Ward neighborhood not once, but twice in just a matter of days.
The incidents caught on camera are sparking a call to the community to team up with city leaders to devise a plan for change.
KPRC 2′s Deven Clarke was able to ahold of that footage and talk to community advocates who are determined to make a difference.
The people he spoke to who live and work in Third Ward know how rich the community is with culture and a history of perseverance. They’ll bring that attitude to the table tomorrow, as they devise a plan so that gun violence won’t overshadow the good in the community.
“We’ve had two shootouts in 72 hours. This is disturbing,” Tamaro Bell, President of the MacGregor Park Super Neighborhood said.
The first shooting she discussed happened early Monday on Emancipation and Blodgett.
“It was about 2′oclock or something in the morning after the clubs get out, and I mean over 36 shots fired. The two individuals or whatever, they were having their beef,” she said.
In the video Bell provided, she could see a car believed to be driven by an innocent bystander turn left after the driver was hit.
“The callous indifference to human life, we are sick of it,” she said.
She says the driver is still in the hospital recovering.
Then there was another shootout.
“Last night at 11:46pm. Another neighbor. Thank God for the Ring [doorbell] cameras people have right now, because that is how we are getting our intel from,” she said.
Bell says no one was struck at that shooting, but in Ring video you can hear at least one gunshot.
The shootings are reasons why Bell is teaming up with Houston Police Chief Troy Finner, and District D Councilmember, Carolyn Evans-Shabazz to invite the public to a town hall meeting to brainstorm ideas for change.
“We need people who are maybe mentors who can help some of these young people, because people have such anger management issues,” Evans-Shabazz said.
Other ideas include installing safety cameras that can read license plates, and upping HPD and security patrols.
Business owners like Black and Long Watson, who run The Savoy restaurant on Emancipation, say change is crucial to keep Third Ward alive in more ways than one.
“All of our children are on the streets here every day so, we definitely feel like… it’s disturbing, but you know what, I do think Third Ward, Houston as a whole going to come together. We’re going to deal with it and make it happen,” the couple said.
As far as we know, no suspects have been caught in either shooting. As always, police are asking for anyone with information to come forward.
As for that town hall meeting tomorrow, it’s happening at the Third Ward Multi Service Center on Ennis at 7:30. Everyone is invited to attend.
