Repeated gunshots rattle Clarkston's Milam Park neighborhood
CLARKSTON, Ga. - Neighbors are shaken up after gunfire erupted in their DeKalb County community. The shots broke out near Milam Park along Norman Road in Clarkston. One neighbor says he recovered dozens of bullets from the scene. Neighbors say they hear gunshots every week in their community.
"What I heard, at first, were multiple gunshots," said Sean Waters, a homeowner. "It was scary."
Waters says just after midnight on Saturday he heard someone open fire right outside Milam Park in Clarkston. "Just a stone’s throw away from my house," Waters said.
Waters says a man was perched by a car, firing rounds into the park. "What was going through my mind was panic and fear and worry for my safety as well as the safety of anybody else in my neighborhood," Waters said.
Later that morning, Waters picked up dozens of spent casings that littered Norman Road. "I recovered approximately 30 to 33 shells," Waters said. "The problem is concerning. We hear gunshots all the time, in the evening hours, on the weekends."
This isn’t the first time violence hit his neighborhood. "We had an incident about a year ago, where we had a stolen vehicle that ended up in Milam Park that was involved in a shootout," said Clarkston Police Chief Christine Hudson.
Police found a wrecked, stolen car back in March last year. It was riddled with bullet holes.
When asked if the park and the surrounding neighborhoods are problem areas, Hudson said "no, not as a whole, it is not."
Hudson says police are keeping a close eye on the park. The city posted Flock cameras and Hudson says her officers patrol the area on a regular basis.
When asked if she would step up patrols, Hudson responded, "Yes, we will. I will have officers come out and do patrols as often as possible on the hour here and to include after hours."
"What I would like to see for DeKalb County and Clarkston work together to protect the people in their community," Waters said.
Neighbors want police to find the people behind the gunfire.
Police say there were no reports of injuries and no arrests in either incident.