MUNCIE, IN (NewsLink) - One person was taken to the hospital after a shooting near the Muncie Mall this morning.
Muncie police responded to the shooting after a nearby resident called 911. Officer Chase Winkle says the victim was taken to Ball Memorial Hospital and his condition is still unknown. Winkle also says police have a definite person of interest and they are actively searching for him.
The shooting, which occurred on the corner of N. Hartford and E. Princeton Ave, left neighbors stunned as many say the area is typically very quiet. Resident Jada Watson, who was with her sister at the time of the shooting, says the events shocked her.
“Around this area it’s very quiet. It’s actually pretty peaceful around here,” Watson said.
On the other hand, resident Randy Isenburg thinks the area isn’t as quiet as it used to be. “It used to be really really quiet and that was nice, but now we got these meth-head kids walking around.”
According to Isenburg, a dark-colored vehicle drove up the street by his house and sped off after Isenburg heard a “popping noise, like a firecracker.” Watson said the victim that was shot was riding a bicycle at the time.
Now, the residents are pondering their safety.
“I moved in with my boyfriend and I don’t feel safe anymore because I walk to the gas station,” said Watson.
Isenburg, whose home sits on that corner, agrees. “It’s close. That’s close and you know it worries me… I just hope they catch him.”
The event also angered Isenburg. “It just makes me angry the way the neighborhood’s changed...It makes you want to leave, but, yet, I’ve been here 19 years. It’s home.”
Anyone with information regarding the shooting is urged to call Muncie police.
