Chattanooga police believe a group of 12 to 15 people has been responsible for the majority of the city’s shootings in the last three weeks, Chief Fred Fletcher said Monday.
Four people were shot over the weekend in separate incidents across the city, and police believe at least three of those shootings are related to an ongoing feud between gang members and people associated with gangs.
The feud is not a traditional, one-gang-versus-another beef, Fletcher said. Rather, the individuals belong to multiple gangs, and the fight doesn’t strictly follow gang alliances.
Chattanooga Police Chief Fred Fletcher talks about an ongoing feud between gangs that has resulted in several shootings, even threatening the lives of little children with the acts of violence.Weekend shootings
Sunday510 Central Drive, 3:30 a.m.: Justin Hawk, 29, told police he was standing in a parking lot on Central Drive when he got into a fight with an unidentified black man. The man shot him and Hawk ran away. His injury was not life-threatening.2700 Curtis St., 3:48 a.m.: Marcus McMillan, 19, was inside a home on Curtis Street when a vehicle drove by and several shots were fired. McMillan was not seriously injured.1300 Cypress St. Court, 9:16 a.m.: Kevin Williams, 19, told police he was walking with a friend on Cypress Street Court in College Hill Courts when an SUV with three black men inside drove by and someone started shooting. Williams was hit once. The injury was not life threatening.Monday1200 Poplar St., 5:50 a.m.: Blake Reid, 24, was hit in a drive-by shooting while at 1200 Poplar St. His injuries were not life-threatening.Source: Chattanooga Police Department
“What we’re seeing here is a lot of mobility between traditional, organized gangs,” Fletcher said. “People creating their own groups for their own purposes. We’re working really hard to identify those purposes, those individuals and the reasons and motivations.”