News

UPDATE: Police investigate second shooting in 24 hours

Posted: 2:13 PM Jul 21, 2012
Reporter: Barbara Harrington

Man shot multiple times, hospitalized in critical condition
UPDATE: Police investigate second shooting in 24 hours

South Bend Police are investigating the second shooting on the city’s Northwest side in less than 24 hours.

They say a man is in critical condition after being shot in the head and torso.

Jose Ruiz lives nearby and called 911 after two men came to his door asking to use a cell phone.

“They said ‘yeah somebody got shot by the alley’,” Ruiz said. “I go out to look at the guy and see if he's alright. I try to talk to him, he didn't answer.”

The man was unresponsive when police found him in an alley in the 600 block of North Brookfield around 5 p.m. Saturday.

He was transported by ambulance to a South Bend hospital, where he’s still fighting for his life.

Police don’t believe the shooting is connected to one in 1100 block of North Adams Street Friday night – only a half mile away from Saturday’s scene.

Two teens were shot in that incident; a 19-year-old died at the hospital and a 17-year-old remains in critical condition.

“It's just scary how you have to walk around and worry about the stuff that happens in your neighborhood, in the place that you grew up in,” said South Bend teen Tandre Ottbridge.

While the victim in Saturday’s was found in an alley, a crime scene technician also combed through a nearby vacant home for evidence.

While neighbors watched police take over their neighborhood as part of their investigation, Henry Davis Jr. vowed to take the public’s concerns to the council Monday.

“South bend is a friendly community,” he said. “We do have our challenges as far as gun violence. But, you have to have faith that we're going to take care of this. I'll be on the front end of this.”

Davis Jr. said local and national gun laws need to be reevaluated to make it easier for police to do their jobs.