Today, police believe they have found the vehicle involved in a drive-by shooting in West Medford and say they’re narrowing in on the suspects.
Shortly after 8 last night, Medford police received several calls of shots fired.
Officials say the suspects started yelling at residents outside a house on Benson Street off Columbus, then drove away to Dakota Avenue and fired down the street.
No injuries were reported.
There was no damage to property.
Police say they’re still looking into motivation.
The West Medford drive-by is not the first in the area this year.Crime near Columbus Avenue is causing concern for citizens– the number of drive by’s police say higher than previous years.
NBC 5’s Jennifer Elliott is live on location in West Medford,
Jennifer
During warm afternoons, families frequent the front yards on these roads off Columbus Avenue in West Medford. Last night’s drive-by coming too close to home for many residents who say the amount of crime in the area is disturbing.
“We heard pop,pop,pop,” recounts Lydia Hayes.
“Then I heard three gun shots. rapid fire,” says resident Charles Forsythe.
“These guys drive by start screaming at everybody and then drive to the end of the road and start shooting,” says another resident, Venus Moony.
Plenty of residents heard and saw last night’s drive-by shooting on Benson near Columbus Avenue in West Medford.
“I’ve been here the last two years and it’s been non-stop craziness,” says Hayes.
It’s the second drive-by to happen this year off Columbus– the other on Bryant street.
Medford police say in 2013 there’s been more drive by’s than ever before.
“We’re still talking maybe 1/2 dozen drive bys for the year, but that’s a lot,” says Lt. Mike Budreau of the Medford police.
It’s not just drive by-s, the concentration of criminal activity isalarming. Lt. Budreau says part of the reason is simply population size.
“In this neighborhood there’s a lot of residents who live there creating a high concentration of people.” Other’s say:
“I think it’s absolutely gang related,” says Brandy Trostel.
She lives on Columbus and says her neighbor found casings in the street next to their home after last night’s event. “We come out here to smoke often at night, what if one of those bullets had gone astray and hit one of us or the baby.”
Thankfully recent drive-by’s have not resulted in fatalities.
“That’s surprising because we’re having shots fired in a highly populated parts of Medford,” says Budreau.
“I’m super angry,” says Hayes, “…there are kids in each of these houses around here and babies, if one of those stray bullets had hit one of them I’d be one mad momma.”
She’s calling out criminals like last night’s shooters: “That’s just cowardly,” she says.
Hayes says she’d like to move out of the neighborhood..she’s hoping she can leave soon.
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