Gunshots in Chatham have a neighbourhood on edge as Chatham-Kent police officers look for suspects.
Police said the gunshots happened in the area of 4 Turquoise Court in Chatham early Wednesday morning at approximately 1:10 a.m.
Officers responded but the suspects fled the area before they got there, according to police. Police said some people at the scene witnessed the shots and corroborated the information.
Investigators said at this point, they are not aware of any injuries or property damage as a result of the gunshots.
Ike Saiyed lives on that street and is concerned about his neighbourhood's safety.
"This kind of violence is not isolated anymore," he wrote in an open letter to the media. "This incident requires a broader conversation. We have seen a significant rise in gun-related crimes across Ontario."
He said the Nova Housing Co-Operative area, where the gunshots took place, is a lower-income area and needs more help from the government in order to "uplift the folks living there".
"It is a grave concern for the community as the area has a lot of families with young children and law-abiding citizens," he wrote, adding that people are increasingly fearful.
Saiyed said the neighbourhood is in shock because this has never happened in the eight years he has lived on the street.
"Nobody expected this in our neighbourhood like that. I've been there eight years and this is a first," said Saiyed. "People started screaming like what's going on?"
He said he ran to the end of the street to find out what was going on but didn't see anybody because it happened so fast.
Saiyed also said it's all the children can talk about, which is unhealthy.
An investigation is underway and anyone with information is asked to contact Constable Dan Carroll at dancar@chatham-kent.ca or (519) 436-6600, extension #280.
