East Jackson community tired of violence
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EAST JACKSON — An east Jackson community says it’s fed up with not feeling safe in their own neighborhood. This comes after gunfire erupted around 10:30 Sunday night near Parkway East Apartments. Though officers say they have five suspects in custody, residents believe more should be done to prevent this type of violence. Many who live near the apartments say they heard five gunshots Sunday night. Though no one was injured, many fear it’s just a matter of time before someone is. “With me having kids of my own, I think it really puts all of them in danger because bullets don’t have a name,” said Kellen Lyles, a father with a 2-year-old son and a baby on the way. He lives near the Carver Avenue apartments and has called this area home most of his life. “It’s a lot of violence, shootings every week,” he said. “I heard the shots last night, but I didn’t know what was going on. When I hear them I just go in the house because I don’t want to be in the middle of it.” Jaylen Williamson lives in a house near the apartment complex and says he often feels unsafe in his own neighborhood. “I’m scared of guns, so I just stay away. I stay in the house,” Wiliamson said. Many local residents say they are tired of all the violence and that something more needs to be done. “I’m very tired of it because if it’s this bad now, I just wonder how it’s going to be when my kids grow up,” Lyles said. He thinks there should be more police presence in the area. “When people see police, they don’t want to do anything for the police to talk to them, especially around here,” Lyles said. Interim Police Chief Julian Wiser says there are increased patrols in the area and security cameras that are monitored around the clock. He said this has helped them with quick responses to calls in the area like the shooting on Sunday night. Officers tell us no one reported any property damage from the gunfire. Police have not released the names of the five suspects they took into custody last night or what charges they could face. This is an ongoing investigation.
