Neighbors on weekend shooting: ‘Mitchell was not the intended target’
Ladarius Watson, Raven Hilt and Thaddius Montgomery were three of four people shot in separate shootings this past weekend. Fortunately, their injures were non-life threatening.
But the same couldn’t be said for Gary Mitchell, 50. Neighbors say he was critically shot in the chest as he stood on his front porch in the 3100-block of 3rd Avenue.
It happened Saturday afternoon in broad daylight.
Neighbors also told WDEF that Mitchell was not the intended target.
"Bystanders. They have loved ones, Fathers and Mothers, sisters and brothers. And it’s heart breaking. It hurts me and pains me to see this continue to go on," said Freddie Benford.
According to several witnesses, multiple shots rang out from two cars zooming down a two block stretch of 3rd Avenue.
"I heard two shots first. Then I heard eight more shots," Benford said.
Jasmine Scruggs told WDEF that she and her boyfriend were in a car getting ready to pull out of their parking spot when the shooters drove up behind them at a high rate of speed.
"When the car pulled up behind us, it was like 10-15 shots, random shots where no one was actually aiming at the same direction but it was just random throughout the neighborhood."
Several homes along a two block stretch of 3rd Avenue were riddled with bullet holes. Neighbors told WDEF a similar shooting happened along the same couple of block on Wednesday, but no one was hit. They believe the incident carried over through the weekend; which is why many of them no longer feel safe sitting on their front porch.
"If you’re not safe at your own home where are you safe at," Belford said.
"I want this to stop because I don’t want it to be me or someone else ends up as the result of violence; dead or shot or harmed in any way," Scruggs said.
Chattanooga Police Chief Fred Fletcher told WDEF that three of the shootings may have something in common.
"At least three of these four shootings appear to be related to each other and we’re actively investigating exactly what that means," Fletcher said.
In the meantime, Mitchell’s girlfriend and close neighbors have confirmed that Mitchell is alert and able to talk.
So far, no suspects in either shootings are in custody.
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