LAKE CITY, Fla. — Lake City police responded to four reports of gunfire in less than 36 hours this past weekend, all less than six miles apart. Now, they're beefing up patrols.
Lake City Police Chief Gerald Butler says the department is looking into these shootings and collecting evidence. He believes two of the shootings could be connected based on shell casings found at the scenes. A family whose home on Loquat Way was hit by gunfire, say they are lucky to be okay.
"We heard boom, boom, boom. Me and my husband jumped up and I was like, 'hey, that's gunshots'," homeowner Deshonda Fulton said.
Bullets entered Fulton's home just before 4 a.m. Saturday.
"Seven bullet holes in the house," Fulton said.
Fulton says the bullets hit a few cars in her driveway, went through her living room window and into her bedroom.
"If my husband would have got if he got up at the wrong time in a shot him because he got on his side," Fulton explained.
Nobody in the home was hurt, but Lake City Police Chief Gerald Butler says this was the first of four calls his officers responded to on the city's north end this weekend.
On June 24 around 3:22 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 1500 block of Loquat Way. Fulton reported her family was asleep when they were awoken by gunfire and bullets coming through the walls. Bullet holes were found in both the home and cars parked in front of the house.
Then, on Saturday around 10:29 p.m., officers were dispatched to the intersection of NE Cherry Lane and NE Chestnut for the report of gunfire. Officers discovered 9 shell casings from a 9MM firearm.
On Sunday, at about 2:36 p.m., officers were dispatched to the intersection of NW Fronie St and N Marion St to the report of two vehicles chasing and shooting at each other.
"We found no evidence of any discharging firearms," Lake City Police Chief Gerald Butler said.
On Sunday, at about 6:11 p.m., officers were dispatched to 230 NE Aggie St to the report of gunfire. A rowdy crowd was present in the street and on personal property. Officers were able to calm the crowd. A search of the area resulted in the discovery of a Smith and Wesson SD40 VE.
Butler says the shell casings found at the home on Loquat Way and between Northeast Cherry Lane and Northeast Chestnut could be connected.
"Usually when a home is targeted like that there is a reason for it," Butler said.
The evidence will be sent to FDLE to confirm that.
"They'll do ballistics to see if the shell casings came from the gun we found. They'll also try and max the shell casings from the different locations to see if they came from the same firearm. Then we'll also process the gun to see if we can get fingerprints or DNA," Butler said.
In the next few weeks, the police chief says the city will start using a gunshot detection system and license plate readers to help solve crimes.
"When a gunshot goes off, the gunshot detection system instantly send a message to our on duty units....so the officers know right away what happened and where. And then the investigators we have a look at the license plate readers which will be stationed throughout the city. If we have a suspect vehicle to be able to tie that into the shootings."
Fulton says she doesn't know why anyone would shoot at her home. Butler says there will be extra officers patrolling the area.
"That makes me want to get make sure I get some more cameras where I can really see," Fulton said.
Lake City Police say it hopes to have both its gunshot detection system and license plate readers up and running in the next six weeks.