The Lubbock Police Department reports two adults and a juvenile were shot during a civil disturbance in East Lubbock late Saturday evening.
The incident occurred in the 2100 block of East 30th Street around 10:30 p.m.
Lubbock Police told EverythingLubbock.com that children were playing in the front yard of the residence. An elderly man at the residence confronted the children and brief physical altercation ensued resulting in no injuries. The children then left the property.
A group of eight adults and the children returned to the residence a short time later and a verbal altercation broke out between the group and the elderly man.
Lubbock Police said another man walked up to where the confrontation was taking place and joined in the verbal argument. This man then drew a gun from a backpack and began firing at the elderly man. The elderly man then responded by pulling a firearm and returning fire.
Authorities report three people were struck by bullets during the exchange of gunfire, two adults and a juvenile.
The two adult shooting victims were taken to Covenant Medical Center. The juvenile shooting victim was taken to University Medical Center. All three suffered serious but non-life threatening injuries.
“It would be good that we show our children how to respect one another and live together and associate with one another so that this kind of thing wouldn’t have to escalate to that level,” said Sheila Taylor on Sunday. Taylor’s father and brother were wounded in the exchange of gunfire.
“It was very devastating for me to be coming home, I see all the activity going on, all the police men, all the people and that it would actually be my father and my brother,” Taylor paused and shook her head in disbelief.
The man who fired the first shots, identified as Kenneth Davis, 22, fled the scene but was later apprehended by police at a nearby residence. He was taken to the Lubbock County Detention Center.
Lubbock Police identified the two adults shot Sunday evening as Johnnie Taylor, 82 and Cary Taylor, 44. The juvenile was not identified. As of Sunday evening Covenant Officials said that Johnnie Taylor had been released from their hospital but Cary Taylor was still being treated there.
Kenneth Davis remains in the Lubbock County Detention Center as of Sunday evening. He is charged with two counts of aggravated assault. Each charge is a second degree felony.
Sheila Taylor said that what bothers her most about this shooting is that neighbors were attacking neighbors, something she believes wouldn’t have happened in the neighborhood decades ago when she grew up there four decades ago..
“It’s sad to me because when I grew up in this neighborhood we were close knit, it was a neighborly-hood and now it’s just hood,” Taylor said.
Taylor added that this shooting will definitely make her more worried about her safety, and she can’t help but wonder if children on her street will be more fearful too.
She was grateful that a local pastor came by to pray with her this morning, but she believes there is more the residents could to to make sure that neighbors know and respect one another.
“It’s gonna take us all, for the family with the little boy who had a confrontation with my brother and my father, I really wish nothing bad on them I ‘d like to see him make a full recovery,” Taylor said. “And maybe we could start from this problem and say this happened a few weeks ago and we’d like to come together and we’re going to be ok.”