HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) — Residents in a Hampton neighborhood are on edge after a pair of drive-by shootings at the same intersection over the Labor Day holiday weekend.
Hampton Police are investigating the two drive-by shootings at the intersection of North Mallory Street and East Virginia Avenue, one of which took place Saturday and the other happening Monday. Several bullets went through windows of homes and cars, and bullets also struck buildings.
Luckily no one was hurt, but who knows about the next time.
Hampton Police said they are following leads, will provide additional officers and will increase surveillance in the area.
“This is an active investigation,” said a Hampton Police spokesperson. “We take gun violence very seriously. Detectives are pursuing all leads and will remain steadfast in their approach to solving this problem. From an operational standpoint, we will provide additional officers in this area and will increase surveillance efforts to determine a common factor. We will also be conducting a community walk in the near future to collaborate with the neighborhood and invite them to assist as our eyes and ears. We ask that anyone who sees or hears anything suspicious to call us immediately.”
Residents say they are living in fear of another drive-by shooting.
Liberty, who did not want to have her last name used, said she’s one of those people.
“I’m petrified,” she said. “There’s women and children, and this has happened twice. … We don’t know what happened, we don’t know who is in charge of this, we need to get to the bottom of this. We are petrified. … My message to Hampton Police, do everything in your power to make this stop happening. We were lucky the two times. We might not get lucky the third time.”
Another resident who didn’t want to be identified has a car that got shot a few times with the driver’s side window blown out.
“If I was sitting in the front seat behind the wheel, I wouldn’t be talking to you today,” that person said, “and I was just about to go get in the car.”
That person said she just wants peace of mind. She said she fears that one of her kids is going to get hurt — or die.
“We still got to live here,” she said. “… Who’s going to make sure we can come outside and get in the car and drive off and be safe or come back home, go in the house to be safe? I mean, our kids can’t even come out and play.”