Alarmed by recent local shootings that caused deaths or injuries, we editorially remarked only last Thursday that “Chattanooga isn’t Dodge City,” as in the days of the Wild West. But some irresponsible and lawbreaking individuals seem to be trying to prove that our city is a shooting gallery.
On Page 1 of yesterday’s Times Free Press was a news story noting a police report that gunfire had broken out in an intersection in the 1200 block of Cypress Street Court the evening before.
The article said Chattanooga police officers carrying AR-15 rifles searched a building, seeking suspects in a triple shooting – as children played nearby in the College Hill Courts development!
These are alarming signs that we have a serious situation among us, as too many people – perhaps some involved in gangs – ignore laws that make it illegal to go armed for the purpose of engaging in violence and mayhem.
Police reported that three men and three vehicles were struck by the barrage of gunfire Monday. A suspect was being sought.
Injuries to the men were not life-threatening. How fortunate we are that there were no follow-up notices from funeral homes as a result of the shootings.
The public should insist that all of our people be safe to go about their normal business, in their cars and walking along our streets, without fear of being targeted – or of being shot accidentally.
Our police are trying to do their job, but they need the help of us all to combat the serious dangers posed by gunmen on our streets.