CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Corpus Christi police officers are investigating three shootings that have taken place in our city in just two days, one of them involving a CCPD officer.
While police are still looking into the specifics of each case, it does raise questions regarding gun-related violence.
Shortly after midnight on Fourth of July, officers spotted a car that had been taken in a carjacking. 17-year-old Jesus Ramos was shot after pulling out what the officer believed was a weapon. 17-year-old Nathanial Martinez, and Dominic Favela were arrested, and two handguns were found at the scene.
Then, just one day later, a person was shot at the Politics Sports Bar following an altercation that police said may have been started by the victim. That person did not cooperate with officers, and whoever pulled the trigger has not been arrested.
A few hours after that, police were called to a home on Seville Drive, where yet another person had been shot. The shooter has still not been apprehended.
3NEWS asked Corpus Christi Police Chief Mike Markle about gun-related violence here. He said it is something they work hard to try to police ahead of time.
“I know a lot of folks think that it’s a crime that you address after the crime occurs, but really, we’ve been working very hard for disruption," Markle said. "We are sending units out and paying them overtime to disrupt parking lot congregations, bar checks, all those things where people are coming together that could lead into violence.”
Markel said that along with that, comes intervention and education. He adds that both can be helpful as they contend with stolen weapons that end up in the hands of criminals.
“A lot of the guns we're finding out in the field are stolen. You’ll always hear me harping about locking your guns up. Don’t buy weapons and just leave them in your car, and don’t make them accessible to criminals when they steal them," Markel said.
For Corpus Christi residents, the bottom-line is whether they can and should have the confidence to feel safe in their own city.
“We’re going to have violent crime issues and all of the criminal issues that any city has, but folks should feel safe here," Markle said. "Most of our violent crime is associated with lifestyle. If you’re not affiliating with gangs or selling drugs and those types of things, then your chances of being involved in a violent crime or being a victim of violent crime diminish greatly.”
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