Shooting tileRECENT SHOOTINGSFriday7310 Standifer Gap Road - 9:30 p.m: Brandon Langford, 33, was found suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg after an apparent home invasion attempt.Saturday3900 Jasmine St. - early morning: Clarence Roberts, 21, was taken to Erlanger hospital in critical condition after suffering several gunshot wounds.1600 South Orchard Knob Ave. - 10:30 p.m.: Gabino Ramirez, 31, and Fernando Ramirez, 32, were shot and taken to Erlanger with non-life-threatening injuries.Monday2013 E. 14th St. - early morning: Police responded to a local hospital where Kyle Worley, 19, said he was shot in his backyard by an unknown male. Worley was treated and released for non-life threatening injuries.Wednesday4700 South Terrace Road - 2:13 a.m.: Cedric Mikes, 32, was found dead after police received a call about a traffic crash. Mikes' vehicle had rolled down an embankment. He was found to be suffering from a gunshot wound.1400 Bennett Ave. - 10:06 p.m.: Charles James King, 41, was found dead in a vehicle after police responded to the area on a "shots fired" call.Thursday300 W. 38th St. - 2:10 a.m.: Charles Hudson, 50, told police at a local hospital that he was shot in the knee by an unknown suspect while on West 38th Street. Hudson was treated for the injury, which was not life threatening.
A pair of homicides Wednesday in Chattanooga brought the city to within one shooting death of its 2013 total.
When police responded to a "shots fired" call at 1400 Bennett Ave. in East Chattanooga just after 10 p.m. Wednesday, they found Charles King, 41, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.
He was pronounced dead at the scene and became the 13th victim of fatal gun violence in the city this year. There were 14 total fatal shootings in the city last year, records show.
Just nine people had died from gun violence at this point in 2013, according to newspaper archives.
Although shooting deaths are ahead of last year's pace, the total number of shootings is down slightly.
A nonfatal shooting early Thursday morning at 300 W. 38th St. brought the 2014 total to 59 compared to at least 65 at this time last year.
Nevertheless, a violent spree over the last week has kept police Chief Fred Fletcher busy during his first official week on the job.
The 46-year-old former Austin, Texas, police commander said Thursday that he has worked 60 hours in four days this week.
"Working 60 hours is nothing compared to losing a brother or a father," Fletcher said, adding that he expected to work such hours when he accepted the job.
Of seven total shootings with eight victims in the city over the past week, police believe just two are gang-related.
Fletcher said authorities have identified several people of interest in Wednesday's homicides, one of which they believe was gang-related.
In the five nonfatal shootings, several of them robberies, suspect information is scarce, Fletcher said.
City officials have remained mum on the specific operations of Mayor Andy Berke's Chattanooga Violence Reduction Initiative, which is in its fourth month. But police have said it will take time before noticeable results are seen.
Contact staff writer David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6731.