Neighbors on Camp Street, a quiet block near 16th and Guerrero Streets, were shocked to learn about a homicide on their street early Monday morning – the third one in the Mission in less than a week.
Police officers responding to a call about shots being fired at around 2:20 a.m. They found a man with gunshot wounds in the chest and the head, the Examiner reported. The victim, who hasn’t yet been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene.
It’s unclear if the shooting is related to the previous two shootings on Tuesday, which police said are gang-related. One involved an innocent victim.
Neighbors in the area said that the scene resembled a drug deal gone bad instead of a gang shooting.
Witnesses told police they heard an argument right before the shooting. They described hearing at least four shots, with brief pauses between each shot. Soon after, someone cried out for help.
The neighbors also said that drug-users occasionally go into Camp Street because it’s less busy than nearby Guerrero Street.
Michelle Milligan, 39, a resident in the block said that she has seen people shoot up on the street, but the drug using had not led to violence. She noted that there are usually people on the street at that time, as many bars around the area are open until 2 a.m.
Another resident who has lived there for 30 years, said that she used to call police often to remove drug dealers and users from the block. That, she said, had not been necessary for awhile.
“I feel weird,” she said. “It’s hitting too close to home.”
Close the SROs
So the people who live in them can be on the street 24/7 instead of most of the time? Yeah, that’ll really help stop the crime rate, aggressive panhandling, loud fights over “turf”, and our streets from being people’s toilets. GREAT idea sfad. Now give help us solve other problems, like war and world hunger!
It was 2:17am. I live on 16th and Guerrero. I heard 4 gunshots and shortly after lots of police showed up. It is, indeed, way to close to home. It’s a block away from the police station and that tells me that these folks have no respect for the SFPD. Police, please do a better job of making this a city that people don’t shoot each other in.
Actually, its almost 3 blocks away from the Police Station. But with that being said, what makes you think that criminals committing crimes are even considering the SFPD enough to not respect them? And considering this shooting was believed to be a drug deal gone bad, what more can the SFPD do in the face of this never-ending, unwinnable war on drugs? I’m actually impressed by how fewer drug dealers there are out there these days. I used to never be able to walk past the corner of 16th and Mission without being offered drugs and “outfits”. When I’ve been around there the past couple of years I haven’t been offered at all.
Got any specifics? What ought SFPD do more of or differently?