As city officials denounce the 'senseless and tragic' violence on the east side and relatives and neighbors mourn the death of a four year old boy killed by gunfire early Thursday, the gun men are continuing their deadly work, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
A 43 year old man was shot to death on the city's east side last night in a home invasion that detectives say may be gang related.
Police say a gunman simply opened the door and walked into a home in the 100 block of Northgate, which is just south of the Botanical Gardens, walked up to the victim, and shot him in the back of the head.
He the turned toward the door, ignoring several other people in the home, and walked off into the night.
Police have no suspects and no motive.The victim was rushed to SAMMC where he was pronounced dead.
Several east side residents say they have seen violence before, but never anything like this
."Homeowners don't even want to rent any more, they want to sell their property and leave,' Pastor Royce Sullivan said. "When you get to the point where people say 'I want to leave,' that's when it gets scary."
Police have vowed to 'saturate the area' and capture the killer of the four year old boy.
There have been indications, backed up by police, that the spike in violence is driven partly by social media. Detectives say some of the killers have been prompted by individuals who feel they were 'disrespected' or 'called out' on social media getting revenge.
Pastor Sullivan says his sister in law lives four houses away from the home on Hub Street where four year old DeEarlvion Whitley was shot when a gunman peppered the house with bullets.
"She says she is going to move, she says she can't stay here, she can't raise her child here."