ROANOKE, Va. – On Saturday evening, a shooting at Huff Lane Park left an 18-year-old with serious gunshot wounds.
Huff Lane Park is normally a quiet park where families can enjoy the beauty of Roanoke.
“This is a beautiful and widespread area where you get to see the grass, nature and scenery kind of interact,” Nick Graves said. “Also, you get to see a lot of different kind of families come out all together and just spend time just kind of being immersed in pretty much what makes Roanoke good.”
However, that peaceful environment was broken after police started combing the area looking for clues.
Ennis Stump has lived in a neighborhood just across the street from Huff Lane Park for thirty years. For those thirty years, he said that the neighborhood has always been quiet and filled with good and hardworking people.
“Pretty much everybody on this street, we all get up, go to work and do what we’re supposed to do and we don’t have a problem at all,” Stump said.
Nick Graves is a loan consultant whose job is within walking distance of the park.
He sees all different kinds of families enjoy the outdoors. Now, he says this shooting could make families a little nervous coming to the park.
“I see a litany of different families whether it be young or old altogether. They just spend time and just kind of enjoy the environment and the scenery,” Graves said. “I think that can kind of make a lot of people apprehensive of pretty much being able to come out here and enjoy the area altogether.”
Police are still looking for the five people of interest who they believe are involved in the shooting, while neighbors believe that, as long as they are on the run, they represent a danger to the surrounding community.
“Those people are still at large and whatnot, that means there is still a danger to the community that are out and about that everybody needs to be aware of and just kind of be on their heels and just pay attention in regards to their surroundings,” Graves said.
10 News reached out to the Roanoke Police Department which issued the following response:
“We are continuing to follow leads related to the photographs that were submitted, and we are grateful for the information provided by the community thus far. This investigation is still very active and ongoing as detectives follow up on all the leads provided.”
Roanoke Police Department