SILVER SPRING, Md. — Montgomery County Police are still searching for two men seen on video exchanging gunfire in downtown Silver Spring. The shootout happened on Monday morning near Fenton Street. One of the bullets went into a nearby restaurant and another struck a passing car.
Neighbors are concerned such violence could happen in broad daylight in such a busy area.
"This place is definitely a safe place. There are places you hear about and you know to avoid, and this wouldn't even make that list," said Michaela Dumas.
Dumas finds herself in downtown Silver Spring often. The artist sometimes sells artwork in the open pavilion at Ellsworth Place.
"I was going to eat at the Cava but it was a Chipotle kind of day," she said
That change in appetite is how she dodged bullets flying between the two men.
Another woman we spoke to was nervous to show her face because the shooters are still on the run, but she was also downtown Monday and witnessed some of the aftermath.
"I saw a lot of people running and I was wondering what was going on then. So it makes me feel really disgusted that that's going on in broad daylight," the woman said.
Police have yet to identify the shooters and their descriptions are somewhat general because one of the shooters appears to be masked. No one was hurt in the shooting, and police say crime is actually down in the Downtown Silver Spring area.
Dumas believes as a nation guns are glorified and that contributes to them being used to resolve conflicts.
"I think guns are made to take life and life is a very serious and important thing, so we shouldn't have that," Dumas said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Montgomery County Police Department 3rd District Investigative Section at 240-773-6870 or contact Crime Solvers of Montgomery County toll-free at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).