ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — Instead of being in school or working a day job, four teens from Elizabeth City are in the hospital following a shooting at an apartment complex.
Wednesday night, Elizabeth City officers were called to the 1000 block of Walker Avenue where they found four teens, ranging in age from 15 to 19, had been shot.
Officers called the scene tragic.
"Looking at those young men is very heartbreaking. There’s no other word for it," said Elizabeth City Police Phillip Webster.
Claudine Jordan is a tenant of the Walker Landing Apartment complex where the shooting happened. She tells News 3 she moved here a couple of months ago with her daughter and five-year-old grandson.
Since she got her keys, Jordan said it’s hard to settle in when unsettling events have been happening on the other side of her door.
"To tell you the truth I would love to get out of here because this is sort of a bad area. Since I've been here there's been three shootings," Jordan said. "A lot of stuff goes on out here, so I stay in the house."
In a press conference Thursday, Elizabeth City leaders called the shooting a stain on the community. They believe it can be corrected with the help of a new spot for activity at the local armory.
Members of the Police Athletic League are hoping to bring in more healthy and proactive outlets for teens, providing them with positive role models, mentoring and sporting activities. Recently the Elizabeth City Council signed an agreement with the county to make the armory the center location.
But, until work is done over the next 6 to 9 months on the building, city leaders said there’s something else citizens can do.
"I think the biggest thing we can tell the public to do is attend our council meetings every second and fourth Monday of the month at 7 p.m.," said City Manager Montré Freeman. "Talk with your representatives and get to know who they are and then engage them in conversation because it’s together that we fix this thing."
The Feb. 8 shooting is still under investigation, and the police department is urging anyone with information about what happened to call (252) 335-4321 or the Crime Line at (252) 335-5555. All information received will remain anonymous and strictly confidential.
