MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Bullets flew into several Binghamton homes late Sunday morning and nearly injured an elderly man and child.
Neighbors said the shooting stemmed from a verbal argument. Some top crime officials say the coronavirus crisis may be masking what’s really going on.
“The argument kind of got way out of hand, and one of them grabbed a gun,” said Chuck White, who lives nearby.
White said someone opened fire, and bullets flew into homes on Williford, including his.
White’s 72-year-old roommate was sitting just feet away from where a bullet lodged into his wall.
At his neighbor’s home, a bullet almost hit an 8-year-old boy.
White thinks the incident was domestic, but right now, police are only saying this stemmed from a verbal argument between two people in separate cars.
“I work with the homeless; I have three to four people typically over here every day,” White said. “It could have been a lot, lot worse.”
Police are tracking the violence in the community. They’ve seen a decrease in aggravated assault and domestic violence incidents.
More than 460 simple and aggravated domestic assaults have been reported so far this month, according to MPD. That number is down, compared to April 2019.
The crime commission said domestic violence is down 3% between January and March, compared to the same time last year and down 9% in March alone.
But the president of the crime commission gave us a word of caution, saying, “It is very possible that many victims of domestic violence feel trapped during the COVID-19 crisis, feeling it is unsafe to call 911 with perpetrators remaining close by in the home.”
White said the violence that occurred in his neighborhood is a taste of reality.
As families face even more hardships like unemployment and stress, those experiencing domestic abuse can contact the Shelby County Family Safety Center at 901-222-4400. Shelters across the city said they’re open and working to assist those who need help.