CHARLOTTE — Police are trying to devise a plan to reduce crime in a west Charlotte community after multiple shootings happened within hours at apartments on Griers Grove Road, which is off Beatties Ford Road.
No one was injured in the shootings.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Metro Division officers are trying to reestablish security for residents while they investigate the crimes.
Resident Joshua Richardson has a lot of passion for Charlotte’s Garden Park community.
“(I) grew up here, work here, whole life,” Richardson said. “We’re talking 25 years.”
Richardson said he loves the neighborhood that still struggles with open-air drug deals and other non-violent crimes that balloon into life-threatening violence.
“You can see donut marks in different places, and unfortunately the shootings are a sign of acts of disorder that have become commonplace,” Richardson said.
CMPD said there were two shootings at the Northcross Apartment Homes off Griers Grove Road 12 hours apart Tuesday.
One of the shootings involved a shootout.
“An associate of the victim did return fire in that situation,” said CMPD Maj. Ryan Butler.
Some of the bullets struck apartments with children and adults inside.
In the other shooting, police said they tracked down six suspects, including five teens and an adult, a stolen vehicle, and the firearm that was used.
“There were some extended relationships between the victim who was targeted and the individuals that we were able to take into custody,” Butler said. “You’re going to see a visible presence and some other resources that are going on behind the scenes.”
That includes a Crime Reduction Unit and a community resource officer engaging with neighbors near the scene of the crime and in the community.
“We continue to do work very, very closely with the management, reviewing their cameras, talking about strategies for crime prevention through environmental design,” Butler said.
Richardson said he would like to see basic enforcement that’s more long-term while officers step up patrols around the apartment complex.
“What do you do while you’re patrolling?” Richardson said. “Are you making traffic stops? Are you taking notes of things that you see?”
CMPD said two 15-year-olds, two 16-year-olds, and a 17-year-old were among those six suspects. The adult is 18-years-old.
VIDEO: ‘It’s terrible!’: Neighbors on edge after 2 shootings within hours at apartment complex
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