Gunfire erupted on a street within the Harriet Tubman public housing complex Wednesday morning, leaving one man wounded.
Jeffrey Braswell, 33, went into the yard at 1936 Hardy St. after he had been arguing with 31-year-old Reginald D. Wadley, who exited the residence with a gun, said Chattanooga police spokesman Officer Nathan Hartwig. Braswell was shot in the leg, he said.
The shooting is the second to occur in the city in less than 24 hours, bringing the number of shootings resulting in death or injury this year to 27.
Wadley was charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault.
Braswell was taken to Erlanger hospital, where he was treated for an injury that was not life-threatening, Hartwig said.
Marquina Daniels, who has two children ages 3 and 11, said she was grateful the shooting wasn't last week when children were on spring break.
"They just need to tear these projects down. I'm ready to move," said Daniels, 28, who lives in the Harriet Tubman complex. "These are the projects. You never know what will happen."
The street is sparsely populated with many of the units boarded up by Chattanooga Housing Authority.
A cab driver from Mercury Cab company was waiting to pick up one of the men and witnessed the exchange, but police told him not to speak to reporters.
A second unrelated shooting happened Tuesday at 9:17 p.m. on the 900 block of North Willow Street. A few men were walking to a convenience store on Dodson Avenue when a group of six people attempted to rob them. One of the assailants appeared to be about 12 to 13 years old, said Bobby Hyatt, 18, one of the victims.
Hyatt said he was held at gunpoint with a shotgun and asked to empty his pockets. His brother, 26-year-old Robert Thien, was struck with the shotgun, which turned out to be empty. Hyatt said another robber pulled out a pistol and shot his brother as they fought back. The gunman fired one more shot as the group fled.
Thien is listed in stable condition at Erlanger. He had broken bones, one of his lungs was collapsed and his liver was damaged, Hyatt said.
Police have charged Ernest Wynn, 19, and a 17 year-old male with attempted first-degree murder, attempted robbery, aggravated assault, and conspiracy to commit robbery in Thien's shooting.
Even with street lighting, the whole neighborhood is still dark, said Robert Thien Jr., 44, the shooting victim's father who lives on Milne Street. It's difficult to see people approaching or ward off criminal activity, he said.
"I've tried to get more lights out on this street," he said.
Anyone with any information on either case may call police at 423-698-2525 or Crime Stoppers at 423-698-3333.