A gang related drive-by shooting on Sherwood Drive Monday night
sent one Hollister man to the hospital with gunshot wounds to his
face and back, and marks the fourth gang-related shooting in more
than a month that has police increasingly concerned about the
mounting violence.
Hollister – A gang related drive-by shooting on Sherwood Drive Monday night sent one Hollister man to the hospital with gunshot wounds to his face and back, and marks the fourth gang-related shooting in more than a month that has police increasingly concerned about the mounting violence.
“I think that these incidents are definitely escalating,” Hollister Police Chief Jeff Miller said.
A 56-year-old man was shot twice after unknown gunmen fired at least 15 bullets from a 9mm handgun into the residence, located in the 1000 block of Sherwood Drive just before 7pm Monday, according to police spokesman George Ramirez. The victim, who police declined to identify, was standing in the kitchen when he was shot. He was flown by helicopter to a Bay Area hospital and is in serious but stable condition, Ramirez said.
The victim has no gang ties, however one resident who was not at home at the time of the shooting is a suspected gang member, Ramirez said. Seven people were inside at the time of the shooting, including four small children, but no one else was injured in the barrage of gunfire.
“This is a high-priority case for us,” he said. “The crimes are getting bolder.”
One neighborhood resident who heard the gunshots was terrified.
“We were very scared, especially because I have a 19-month-old-son,” said Angie Solorio, who lives across the street. “You never think it’s going to happen in your neighborhood.”
Hollister had always felt like a safe place before the shooting, but now she won’t be playing outside with her son after dark, she said.
Monday night’s drive-by comes on the heels of three gang-related shootings in October in which three Hollister teens were sent to the hospital with shotgun wounds. In mid-October, unknown gunmen shot two 19-year-old males once each in the chest in front of a residence on Central Avenue, but police did not know whether the shooting stemmed from a drive-by or if the suspects approached the victims on foot. Six days later and just five blocks away, another 19-year-old teen was hospitalized with one shotgun wound to the abdomen. The proximity of the incidences had police concerned about escalating gang-violence at that time.
Police are investigating whether the drive-by is related to the other incidences along with the motive behind the shooting, Miller said. While he declined to elaborate on possible motives, he said gang violence of this type is usually the result of a turf battle or revenge for a perceived wrong doing.
While police are making the shootings their No. 1 priority, detectives are asking that witnesses come forward with additional information.
“We have very limited information. People we talked to during our canvas of the area were very reluctant to talk to us,” Ramirez said. “Considering the number of shots fired, it would be reasonable to believe that someone saw something, but no one has come forward, which hinders our investigation.”
Police will be looking into Monday’s shooting to determine if it is related to any of the other three gang-related shootings in the last month, Miller said.
Although evidence was collected at the scene, eye witness accounts are vital to the investigation, Miller said.
“It’s a renewed call for people to be vigilant. We think that people may be withholding information that could help us,” Miller said. “Some of the people interviewed didn’t appear to be forthcoming.”
Miller said witnesses may be reluctant to come forward because they are afraid of retaliation or do not trust police, but he hopes the whole neighborhood will band together to fight this type of crime.
“There is strength in numbers,” he said. “Community members need to stand together and report these things.”
Despite a lack of information, Miller is confident that his detectives will crack this recent rash of gang shootings. Police are continuing investigations into all four shootings, but Miller could not comment on any leads the department was pursuing.
“We have a good track record for solving shootings,” he said, “but they are not solved over night.”
Brett Rowland covers education for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or br******@fr***********.com.
