Police are investigating another shooting outside of a residence in the Cedar Park neighborhood last night, on the same block where a man was shot and wounded last Friday. Police say shots were fired Thursday night around 6:30 p.m., on the 4900 block of Catharine Street.
Officers from the 18th District responded to a call of “a person with a gun” and found eight shell casings. Police say no victims were present. The investigation continues.
March 22nd, 2013 at 1:08 pm
My partner and our son were the only people in the park at the time of this. He said it was terrifying, he ran and hid behind a car with our son to avoid being in the crossfire. Had it not been for some concerned and compassionate neighbors down from the house the incident occurred, I’m sure my partner and our son would have been a lot more terrified. They took them in and gave them water, and even a ride back home! Thanks again, whoever you are!
March 22nd, 2013 at 1:34 pm
As long as 3rd World Lounge is open, you can expect crime and violence in Cedar Park.
March 22nd, 2013 at 1:48 pm
might be the 3rd World, but I live on Walton, and I am all but certain it’s connected with the drug dealers who hang around 49th and Baltimore, 49th and Walton, and 49th/50th and Catherine Street. This has been going on for years. I know them because they used the alley on my block for a stash place until very recently. What are the police doing about this???
March 22nd, 2013 at 2:10 pm
I agree with around the corner and the shooting last Friday was also related to that drug house. I wish both places would get closed down.
March 22nd, 2013 at 2:41 pm
I live on the block. There were plenty of people in the park and there was no crossfire. A Dodge Charger pulled up to a house in the middle of the block and opened fire. Nobody was shot.
March 22nd, 2013 at 2:53 pm
Casualties or no, this is the second shooting in a week. I like Cedar Park. My kids love Cedar Park. But we won’t be going there anytime soon, now.
What I want to know is, what are the police doing about these drug-dealing cretins? Or do we just have to live with this BS, as we’ve been doing for 10 years?
Sorry for the rant. Just so fed up.
March 22nd, 2013 at 3:09 pm
That strip from 48th & Baltimore up to 49th & Walton, very dicey. I’ve seen the drug activity; it could easily be interrupted with a police presence there. One could bring it at the Community / Police meeting 3rd Thursday at Calvary.
March 22nd, 2013 at 4:23 pm
Thanks, Joe Clarke. I haven’t been going to the Thursday sessions because I work then but maybe it’s time to MAKE the time to go…
March 22nd, 2013 at 4:37 pm
I have lived across from the park for 6+ years and because of how close I am to the park, I know that it can be a scary place to be- I have seen dogs attack other dogs (off leash), knife fights, gun violence during the day (having nothing to do with the Lounge), prostituting in cars parked on the street and blatant drug dealing. With more and more families using the park, I hope more voices of concern will be heard and police presence will be increased, it’s clearly a hot spot. On a positive note, more families then ever were outside last night and ready to talk about the incident, if the police had asked.
March 22nd, 2013 at 4:58 pm
This is some b.s. There’s way more people in this area trying to do the right thing and lead a positive life in this community. It’s probably 1% of the population that’s doing this sort of b.s. stuff and aggravating the rest of us. Why don’t we all just team up and have a demonstration. Probably could get together a couple hundred people. All go out and clean up the park, then go tell the the owners of that p.o.s. third world to clean the s##t hole up or get the heck out. Then walk over the 49th and Walton and do the same thing. Obviously the police don’t care or they would have done something. I’m not saying violence, I’m saying positive reinforcement of the community and standing up against people that show no respect for this growing and evolving community. People are charging 300k for houses around here. They should protect their investments. People have kids here. Lets protect their futures. Business are opening and cleaning up their storefronts, lets make sure they stick around. Lets get it together and stop waiting for the city or the police to try. I’m not promoting gentrification or any of that. This is a beautifully diverse neighborhood and it should stay that way. Lets just get the scumbags to realize they are not wanted or needed here.
March 22nd, 2013 at 5:03 pm
I totally agree, Emersonpickle, and am encouraged that people who live nearby seem to care. We all need to do more make the police care more. The situation totally blows. Why should we just live with it?
I will go to the next Calvary meeting and encourage other neighbors to go, too. Let’s get some answers from Detective Joe.
March 22nd, 2013 at 5:26 pm
Well said, Chris. So glad people are finally talking about this!! I love my neighbors. Except the drug-dealing ones.
March 22nd, 2013 at 5:32 pm
@ A.E., if you live on the block you would have seen that there was exactly 2 people in the playground and two 10-11 year olds on a near by bench, at 50th. There might have been more people in the park going towards 49th st, but unfortunately my partner was too busy trying to avoid the area of the gunfire to look. And no there wasn’t any crossfire, but since my partner DIDN’T know who had weapons or not, he took the precautions to avoid that side of the street, in case. Thanks for your positive insight though, I’m sure your world was just as rocked by this as ours was…..
March 22nd, 2013 at 7:22 pm
For what it’s worth, there was a cop car parked outside Hickman on 50th for much of today.
March 23rd, 2013 at 1:34 am
The whole city is in trouble and your worrying about one block, that’s been going on since the 90’s now since the area is changing and people are moving back to the city that aren’t born and raised in the area, they waNT police to do something all of a sudden. WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF CITY?
March 23rd, 2013 at 9:50 am
Hah! I’ve finally figured it out. P, you must be the owner of the Third World Lounge, right?
March 23rd, 2013 at 10:04 am
p, I think that taking on more than you can handle – or are directly responsible for – is a recipe for defeat; it inhibits doing what you can do in a very real situation right in front of you. It is a good way to get overwhelmed by the magnitude of crime and policing throughout the city, and be rendered cynical, fatalistic and passive in the process. Actions taken in smaller communities to address urban problems like blight, crime, failing schools are more effective and can produce the kind of successes that become the model for other areas of the city. Mother Theresa said do small things with great love. This has, over time, a cumulative transformative effect. Faith in “someone” doing “something” at a high level to remedy our – and everyone’s – problem is consumer approach to activism.
March 25th, 2013 at 2:06 pm
I appreciate all the neighbors comments and that people are looking for solutions. I was very close to the shooting and it has scared other members of my family into not even staying in the house. I am not sure blaming others is the way out. I hope that two shootings in a week is enough to bring us together as a community, get to know eachother better and take some action together. I am not sure what it is yet but I think the block captain is planning a meeting for the next week or two please come out and bring your ideas
March 25th, 2013 at 3:55 pm
Please keep us posted on any meetings, Greeny.
March 26th, 2013 at 7:43 am
I wonder how much every nearby homeowner knows how much their home was just devalued by these two shootings. As bad as that is, the loss of a sense of security is even worse. The bottom line that comes out of these meetings should be that if you’re associated with this kind of activity: LEAVE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
March 29th, 2013 at 6:25 am
Do any of you call the cops when you see the drug dealing or the stashing of the prostituting? I live on a block with a house that is known for drug dealing a I call the cops about EVERYTHING! I also make a note of the cars that frequent the house and call the cops when I see them around. Have no idea if it helps but it makes me feel like I’m at least doing something.
March 29th, 2013 at 8:32 am
The third Thursday of the month there is a community meeting with police of the area. It is held at Calvary United Church. It’s a good time to have questions like this one answered, and also to get it on the record that you’ve called and nothing has happened. Hope this helps.
April 1st, 2013 at 12:23 pm
Ha ha, Rat, do you live on my block? In the nice weather it’s not unusual for me to call 911 5+ times per week.
My neighbors and I also attend the community meetings and do our best to work with police to hopefully eventually get these people out of our neighborhood.
May 16th, 2013 at 4:52 pm
Last I checked, owner(s) of Third World haven’t paid property taxes in ~ 15-20 years. (Same deal with most (but not all) of the commercial properties in the 5000 block of Baltimore- any many of those owners have old political connections to the city and/or the state.) I’m vaguely aware that there has in the past been some community pressure on the city to have the Third World Lounge owner booted, but a larger campaign of community pressure on City Council to correct major property tax defaults and see who’s bribing who in these cases (I have some ideas) could do a lot of good.