Over 100 calls for service made to Cedar Street, two shootings

SOUTH BEND, Ind.- New details Monday on the quadruple shooting that killed one and injured three others off of Cedar Street on the East Side of South Bend Saturday.

Police have identified the three women who were shot and injured as 27-year-old Courtney Patel, 31-year-old Mia Hope and 29-year-old Nura Monroe.

The autopsy for 34-year-old Edward McCurry shows he died from a single gunshot. His cause of death has been ruled a homicide.

Now, this isn’t the first time there has been a shooting on Cedar Street. A 17-year-old was shot in an alley off Cedar and Arthur Street last month. The quadruple shooting is just a block down the road on Cedar and Walsh Street.

According to South Bend Police, there have been 134 calls for service on Cedar street since the start of the year. Cedar Street spans from Niles Avenue to Ironwood.

There have been 5 shots fired calls for service and two shootings this year.

“There’s been a lot more violence, a lot more violence,” Willie Davis, a Pastor at New Creation Praise and Worship Center, said.

When it comes to a solution?

“What can we do to prevent some of this horrible violence? My thought is, the officers, the police department, should be forced to live in the neighborhoods that they patrol so they can really see how we are,” She didn’t want to go on camera or give her name because of safety concerns.

She has lived in the neighborhood her whole life but says the violence has increased over the last couple years.

“I think a police presence would be helpful but not at a distance. They need to be amongst us,” she said.

She said more foot patrol or police just driving by more would be helpful.

Other neighbors in the area have seen more police presence over the last couple of weeks.

The South Bend Police Department writes in a statement: “As for police, we continue to focus on areas where we see a lot of activity. We adjust our resources as needed. The department continues to ask the community to come forward before shots are fired. These incidents are not random.”

Davis used to live in the neighborhood and now lives on the west side. He says it’s up to the community.

“Foot patrol would help but the key is, I believe that the neighborhoods themselves should be able to start the takeback. You just go to take back your neighborhoods,” Davis said.

When it comes to ideas of a neighborhood watch, there are different views.

“I believe yes it would. It would work. Nowadays it’s so dangerous, but I believe it would cut down,” he said.

“My mother was a block parent back in the day where someone was in trouble, someone could run to your house. But now, I’d be afraid to let anybody in that just ran up on my porch,” she said.

She said no one would want to be on the neighborhood watch because of the target on their backs.

“Then the neighborhood watch person becomes a snitch,” she said.
Finding a solution for the violence is on everyone’s minds, but any real action is up in the air.

On Monday, Davis held a prayer circle, just blocks away from both shootings, to bring the community together to stop the violence.

“We’re just going to pray in our neighborhood. Just call out gun violence to cease and just murders and drug violence,” he said.

Davis said neighbors need to get to know each other and help each other.

“Find a way to reach those individuals that are just stuck in society pretty much,” he said. “I guess communication with knocking on doors and neighbors. That’s what we’re going to do.”

Police have charged 15-year-old Randall Madison for the shooting on August 3rd. There are still no suspects in custody for the shooting on Saturday.