EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) -
A weekend shooting in Evansville has police stepping up neighborhood patrols in the area of Covert and Vann where two people were wounded early Saturday morning.
The investigation involves gang violence between two groups.
Following Saturday's shooting, the Evansville Police Department has taken requests for more police presence. So they've stepped up patrols.
14 News spoke with some neighbors on Tuesday who are concerned with the violence and they actually heard the gun shots.
"I was sitting on the couch right here and I heard the first round of shots. It kind of sounded like a roll of firecrackers went off," Zach Armstrong said.
Zach Armstrong was in his living room when the sound of gun shots coming from a parking lot near Vann and Covert interrupted his movie.
"About five minutes went by and I heard about five more shots go off," Armstrong said.
Armstrong's neighbor, Selina Appel, heard them as well, and quickly took action.
"We heard that they had ran into somebody else's house so we locked our doors," Appel said.
19-year-old Dalarrius Jackson is now facing charges in connection with the shooting. Police say Jackson is a known gang leader of the L.A. Zombies, and that gang violence is a growing problem in the Evansville area.
"That's what we're asking for right now, is for people just to join us in acknowledgement that there is a gang problem in Evansville. They have guns. These aren't just kids going around spray painting buildings or breaking windows. They have guns. They have guns for a reason, and that's to protect their money, their drugs," Sgt. Jason Cullum said
Since Saturday's shooting, Sgt. Jason Cullum says the EPD has taken requests for more police presence and they've stepped up patrols in the nearby area.
"If the crime isn't prevented by the officers presence, it'll allow the officers to get there a little bit quicker," Sgt. Cullum said.
The residents 14 News spoke with are hopeful, but don't know that more patrol cars will solve the problem.
Sgt. Cullum tells us there is a possibility they could put 'The Guardian' in this neighborhood. That's a police truck equipped with cameras for 24/7 surveillance.
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Dalarrius Jackson. Source: Vanderbugh County Jail
