DISTRICT HEIGHTS, Md. — On Wednesday, two children, a 4-year-old and a 14-year-old were shot at the Woodland Springs Apartments. District Heights Police say they both survived, but the damage is done.
Neighbors are exhausted with gun violence.
“It's ridiculous. Like why would you do it with a whole bunch of kids? It was a whole bunch of kids. Why do that? I don't understand I don't understand it,” one mother, who did not want to be identified, said.
A cleaning company could be seen washing the blood away from the steps where children often play.
The Woodland Springs community doesn’t have to imagine what it’s like to live through a drive-by shooting. It happened while the sun was still up and kids were outside playing, before dinner.
“I heard gunshots, I heard kids screaming. I instantly came right out because my son was out here. This is like the third time since we've been around here in a year,” the mother said.
They’ve seen with their own eyes what guns can do. Those who still have to call these apartments home are terrified any one of them could become the next target if they show their faces.
“Yesterday my son followed me around the house, he couldn't sleep at night, he kept waking up crying. I told him he didn't have to go to school today because I knew he was probably traumatized,” the mother said.
District Heights Police said the two children thankfully survived. But Regina Johnson-Jackson, who adopted a pup named Danger, is mourning the loss of him. She said bullets were flying everywhere.
“These bullets don't have no name for nobody, you know what I'm saying, to randomly run around and shoot guns and stuff like that is ridiculous. It's crazy,” Johnson-Jackson said.
Joshua Miller was visiting his mother Thursday. She has lived in the apartment complex for seven years. He’s pleading for help from decision-makers.
“We know the police gonna be here for the next five days. You know why? Because something happened. But on the sixth day, where are the police? Where are the people that was here. Is it only because I'm running for office? Or it's hot topic right now? But where is our continuous help?" Miller questioned.
Districts Heights Mayor, Johnathan Medlock was there speaking with neighbors on Thursday.
Medlock had a message for the person responsible for the shooting.
"How dare you? And don’t you ever come back to this community and think you can run shot over this community, hurt our people, hurt your people and do the things you’ve done. It won’t happen again in this city of District Heights and we will find you,” Medlock said.