SAN ANTONIO – Three people were wounded, and one of them suffered life-threatening injuries, in a drive-by shooting at a Southeast Side home.
Around 4:54 p.m. Thursday, Police Chief William McManus said officers went to the home in the 500 block of Bailey Avenue, where they found the three victims -- one in their late 20s and the other two in their late teens -- suffering from gunshot wounds.
McManus said all three were rushed to a local hospital, where the older victim and one of the teens are in stable condition. The other teen suffered life-threatening injuries and is in "bad shape," he said.
When officers arrived, they found about a dozen shell casings on the ground.
Multiple witnesses told police the two teens had been in the front yard when three men in a white, four-door Ford vehicle pulled up and opened fire at them.
One of the teens was struck three times and the other was shot twice. The older victim was inside the home when they were shot in the foot, McManus said.
McManus said the home is well known to officers who patrol the area and they have been called to the home at least five times this year. Two of the calls were for reports of a shooting and the other three were for family disturbances, McManus said.
Police believe Thursday's shooting was gang related and they are confident they will soon learn the identity of the shooters.
A neighbor told responding officers that the targeted home is "active and busy," McManus said.
McManus said police have additional information that will possibly help lead investigators to the shooters, but he could not disclose those details at this time.
Melanie Lira, who lives in the neighorhood, said residents have been hearing shootings around the neighborhood everyday for a week, and nothing is being done to help them.
"In this neighborhood, houses are going for $180,000 to $200,000. Taxes are rising and nothing is being done in the neighborhood to help the people who live here who have been here for 20 plus years," she said.
Lira said residents want to see more patrol officers in the area day and night.
Oscar Guajardo said it's scary when kids can't even feel safe playing outside their home during the day. He's taking his frustration to the polls in the May 4 city election.
"I'm going to talk to that neighbor and maybe some other neighbors, as far as getting more involved with the city and local politics. as far as seeing what we can do to take back our neighborhoods," he said.