Another shooting reported in area
By John Joyce
Published in News on March 11, 2015 1:46 PM
For the second time in two days, a vehicle struck by gunfire in the area of North George Street and West Grantham Street has been reported to the Goldsboro Police Department.
The vehicle hit Tuesday was unoccupied and parked in a residential driveway outside 907 N. George St.
Thaddeus Jerome Jacobs, 49, of Dudley, told police he heard gunfire and then went outside to find that his 2011 Nissan Maxima had been hit by a bullet.
On Monday, an occupied car passing through the intersection of North George and West Grantham streets was hit by gunfire. The driver heard the shots just before his vehicle was struck.
Shootings have been on the rise in the North George and West Grantham Street area, with nine since the start of the year.
As recently as Feb. 23, a man was shot outside a neighborhood convenience store at about 11 p.m. Police have a description of the subject they say shot Lionel Zuniga Cordova, 41, a West Grantham Street resident.
Four days later, Akeem Rashin Atkinson, 18, of 511 W. Ash St. was charged in the shooting and was held on $160,000 secured bond on charges of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury as well as an outstanding probation violation.
Cordova was transfered to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville the night of the shooting, but police had no further update on his condition at the time of this report.
In a statement released Tuesday after inquiries about the first vehicle hit by gunfire, the Goldsboro Police Department said the area is "safe for the motoring public as well as pedestrians to travel through."
Capt. Dwayne Dean, acting major-in-charge of GPD's Criminal Investigation Division, has for the past month or more, fielded via email every question asked of the department on the topic of crime.
"It is obvious that there are folks who have issues with each other for whatever the reason may be, and I suspect that some of it is those folks coincidentally happening upon each other and decide to start shooting at one another, without taking anything or anyone else into consideration with regard to their reckless actions," Dean said.
Requests for interviews with GPD Chief Jeff Stewart have been declined.
Tuesday, Dean said that patrol officers have been told to step up their presence in the area.
"Our officers are conducting more frequent area checks and there are other investigative measures we are taking, but just not willing to share at this time," he said.
At least one community member has come forward. Others with information regarding violence in the area or who might have heard the shooting Monday or Tuesday are asked to come forward as well, Dean said.
"There were other calls for service for shots fired in that area (Monday) and we have instructed our officers to be present in that area as much as possible as calls for service allow."
He added that no indication exists that the shootings are gang-related.