ST. PETERSBURG, Fla — Wednesday’s shootout that injured a veteran police detective and killed a 20-year-old man outside the Food Max store along 18th Avenue South was the tipping point for a South St. Petersburg community already on edge.
"We need to look at what this particular corridor is doing. What's going on? What's taking place that it is centrally centered in this area? And then we need to look at policies to see why did this happen the way it happened?” said Esther Eugene, president-elect for the St. Petersburg NAACP.
This incident continued the violence from November that killed three people and injured several others in at least seven different shootings. Most were just minutes away from each other. One was in the same location as Wednesday’s shootout.
"Whenever we see a hotspot, we put our resources in those areas to address it,” said St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway at a press conference on Thursday.
However, the chief admits police can only do so much.
"We can't expect our elected officials to fix our community. The community has to fix our community,” said Eugene.
Saturday at noon, the Enough is Enough campaign will be along 18th Avenue South at 34th Street demonstrating against gun violence and other issues plaguing the community.
And throughout the entire weekend, leaders will be monitoring the large, late-night gatherings along 16th St. where a young mom was killed in November by a stray bullet.
RELATED: New 'Enough is Enough' campaign to address gun violence, community issues in St. Petersburg
"It seemed to be, you know, people just hanging out maybe playing music and having fun. But as time has gone on, you know, it just seems to be that people are carrying issues and if they see someone that they have an issue with, then they're deciding to deal with that, there, and then it's erupted into violence,” said Eugene, who hopes to see local grassroots organizations also step in to help.
"Within the next 48 to 72 hours is CDAT (Community Development and Training Center) needs to be, if not directly involved, in those meetings,” Eugene said. “One of their winning qualities I believe is the fact that they have a street team. That street team has boots on the grounds in the community."
It's a wounded community Eugene says is desperately trying to heal.
"There are families out there that are grieving for one reason or the other,” Eugene said. “And it's a hurting community."
Chief Holloway said he will be meeting with the NAACP and local pastors on Monday to talk more about solutions.
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