SAN ANTONIO, Texas – A West side intersection, where a woman was shot and critically wounded late Wednesday night, is at the center of a hotbed of trouble, according to people who live in the area.
The San Antonio Police Department said someone in a white pickup truck fired at the 23-year-old woman as she drove through the turn-around near Loop 410 and Marbach Road around 11:30 p.m.
The woman was able to pull into a nearby shopping center, police said, where she crashed into a utility pole near a Whataburger restaurant.
The department said she was in critical condition as she was rushed to a hospital by ambulance.
As of Thursday morning, officers had very little information on the person who shot her or the reason for the shooting.
Earlier reports at the scene were that the woman was the victim of a stray bullet. However, a later report mentioned that the person in the truck fired at her car.
“I was at Wingstop, waiting on my order to get wings,” said Rasheed Latef. “I happened to hear, off in the distance, obviously, I heard gunshots.”
Latef said he immediately got into his own car and drove away from the area without stopping to investigate the source of those shots. He was worried about his safety.
“I’m from New Orleans. I know what gunshots sound like,” he said. “The times we’re living in, things are so wild, so crazy.”
Thursday morning, Latef returned to the scene, though, anxious to find out the details of the incident.
Ministry group seeks to nourish neighbors, foster change
Members of Thy Kingdom Ministry showed up to the intersection Thursday to offer encouragement and nourishment to people who live on the streets nearby, unaware of the incident that had taken place the night prior.
They passed out toiletries, tacos, and coffee to any and all takers, along with a side dish of prayer.
“Whatever it takes to see them change for just a minute or an hour,” said Adrian Barrera, the group’s leader.
Barrera said he grew up in the area and has seen it go downhill in recent years, with homelessness and crime increasing, and businesses shuttering.
“Houses were lost. Children are getting affected by it,” Barrera said. “When your community is not safe, everyone’s afraid to go out.”
SAPD figures show there were more than 3,300 calls for violent offenses and drugs in that particular zip code between January 1 and June 30 of this year.
Because of that, Barrera said he had been planning to set up shop on that corner for several weeks.
However, he believes it was more than a coincidence that they carried out that plan in the wake of the shooting.
“It was divinely inspired,” he said. “All we’re doing is just blessing this area. I didn’t know anyone got shot.”
As Latef looked on at the group’s gathering, he worried “it will take more than prayer” to solve the problems there.
He said the city should also consider adding more social service centers in the area.