4 shot in Middletown: Investigators busy as victims tell police shootings were random

“No one is saying a word to us about what happened,” police say.
Two people were injured Friday night when they were shot while sitting on the porch of a house in the 200 block of Shafor Street in Middletown. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

Two people were injured Friday night when they were shot while sitting on the porch of a house in the 200 block of Shafor Street in Middletown. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

MIDDLETOWN — Four people in Middletown were shot over the weekend in two separate gunfire incidents; none of the injuries were life-threatening, police said.

In the most recent shooting, which happened at 3:08 a.m. Sunday in the 2400 block of Roosevelt Avenue, two people were hit by gunfire, police said. The male and female victims were taken to a local hospital. Maj. Eric Crank, acting Middletown police chief in the absence of Chief David Birk, said the gun violence on Roosevelt involved a vehicle hit by bullets.

The shots are believed to have been fired from another vehicle.

A distraught female called 911, telling dispatchers “I need help, Someone just shot my car.”

She said she stopped on Roosevelt near Highland Street.

“It’s me and my boyfriend,” the caller says. “He’s bleeding — I have got blood on me.”

A male in the background says, “it hurts, somebody help me.”

The caller told dispatchers she does not know who shot at the car she was driving.

The incident prior to that happened at 9:30 p.m. Friday. Two males were shot while sitting on the porch of a residence in the 200 block of Shafor Street. They also were taken to a hospital.

Residents of the street that runs off of Central Avenue called 911 reporting hearing shots and seeing a group of males running down the street.

“We heard six gunshots just go across. We heard screaming afterward and there was a lot of yelling and arguing, then we heard firing,” a female caller told dispatchers. She said she moved to the back of her house away from gunfire because she has a toddler.

A male caller said, “Someone has been shot over here (in the 200 block of Shafor). Please get here immediately. I have to get off the phone. Please get here.”

Sgt. Earl Nelson said the two injured males on Shafor were on the porch when the incident happened. One has significant injuries, but is expected to live.

“No one is saying a word to us about what happened,” Nelson said.

The investigation is continuing into both incidents but it does not appear, based on people the victims are associated, that the shootings are related, Nelson said Tuesday.

Crank said Monday in both incidents, victims and others are saying it was random.

“We know that is not true,” Crank said. “They don’t shoot up a house and they don’t drive by a car and shoot it while it is driving down the road without a reason.”

The investigations into these incidents are ongoing and anyone with information is encouraged to contact detective Kristi Hughes at 513-425-7733 or police dispatch at 513-425-7700.

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