The City Council organized an impressive crowd for a violence prevention summit today, but while they discussed this confounding social phenomenon, the battle continued on the streets where there was a ruthless gun attack in one of the most violent areas in the city. No one was killed but over a dozen shots were fired, leading to a sequence that looked like it came right out of a movie.
7news was on the scene shortly after.
Jules Vasquez Reporting
This pick-up drove, actually raced, over a mile today with only three wheels. It ended up here at the corner of Caesar Ridge Road and Central American Blvd near the port, after leaving its wheel way back here at the corner of Caesar Ridge and Kraal Roads.
The driver, 32-year-old Eustace Andrews was driving here, where all those bullet markers are, when a gunman came out and let off with a spray of gunfire. As many as a dozen bullet markers were on the ground and the vehicle has a number of bullet holes in the door and windshield. An area resident says she heard gunshots just after 10:00AM.
Voice of Area Resident
"Well, about 10:15, we just heard shots and everybody ran. And it was a red pickup, they said, on Caesar Ridge. The vehicle had its bumper off and the wheel off and it was driving on 3 wheels."
And yes, this is the same place just 10 feet away from where a grenade was thrown at dawn in January. It's the family home of principal figure in the South Side Gangsters, Andre Trapp, and the home is seen as an SSG base. Police would not discuss how that relates to the attack on this vehicle except to say blankly that they believe it was gang related.
But as ruthless and determined as the attack was, no one was hurt. The 2004 GMC pickup was riddled with bullet holes, but the driver was not injured. This vehicle, which was parked on the side of the road, was the most seriously damaged. Andrews rammed into it as he was making his escape and flew over the pedestrian crosswalk and lost control. The owner of the Corolla is customs broker, Miguel Torres, who has his office upstairs. He asked to speak off camera.
Voice of Miguel Torres, Car Owner
"We were inside this office and heard a series of shots. Me and my wife just went low and after the shots I heard a banging sound. I was still afraid to go out and see but when I heard that everything was quiet. I peeped through the window and the first thing I saw was my vehicle being smashed and it was actually thrown off the street and into the drain. I felt frightened. I just kept low for a while."
And keeping low, dodging bullets is a common, required practice in this very hot area.
Jules Vasquez,
"In this same area a few months ago, we had a grenade. And then in this same area, we had 3 murders at the corner there by Kraal Road. Are you all, as area residents, tired of this?"
Voice of Area Resident
"Tired, yes. Traumatized about everything and I already have a young baby. I have to be thinking about it every night to try to keep inside and be dodging bullets, dodge from this and dodge from that.
Jules Vasquez,
"Now you know they have an active patrol in this area, or they have a patrol booth."
Voice of Area Resident
"That is not working, because when they shot that young bway, Mr. Vernon, the Police ran too. They ran!"
Andrews told police he does not know who the shooter was and does not want to press charges. He has also made contact with the customs broker whose car was damaged and told him he will make insurance arrangements.
