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'Nobody's paying attention': Frustrations fume after triple shooting in West Baltimore

Three men in their 20s were injured in a shooting in Monday night
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BALTIMORE — Frustrated neighbors say their cries for help fall on deaf ears while the violence they hope to escape bleeds closer and closer to home.

After three men were shot along Presbury Street in West Baltimore Monday night, residents told WMAR-2 News they are fed up with the shooting.

The trail signaling bloodshed a day after the triple shooting is still fresh.

However, the pattern of gun violence that injured three men in the Mathew Henson neighborhood is nothing new.

“We had a woman who was shot here. She was getting out of her car right here. This was last year. She got shot getting out of her car," said Dr. Marvin Cheetum, the Mathew Henson Neighborhood Association President.

Residents said they heard nearly 30 rounds shot out Monday night and all they could do was drop to the floor.

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While they managed to dodge the bullets, three men in their 20s could not with shell casings left behind on the scene.

A truck driver, who was outside at the time, showed WMAR-2 News how one bullet penetrated his truck's door landing inside.

“For me to call the sheriff last week and we have shootings today, I'm waving the red flag and nobody's paying attention,” Dr. Cheetum said.

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Dr. Cheetum said he and his neighbors ban together often to do what they can, but lately, they've been losing ground while other neighborhoods get relief.

“All of the crime that's happening here is disregarded," Dr. Cheetum said. "Safe Streets, we get no coverage. CeaseFire, we get no coverage. Even the rally they had yesterday, 'This is our Street' or something like that, great group, they were at Sandtown. They have not been here and we're saying we are begging for help."

“I just heard the gunshots last night. I came down stairs to make sure my kids were in the house cause that's what you do when you hear that,” West Baltimore resident Larry Whitfield said.

Whitfield watched gunshot victims running for their lives and all he could think of were the lives of his children and their safety.

“I still got five, so I make sure they're in the house at all times, especially at night time," Whitfield said. "Well, it don't even matter if they're in the house at night time cause daytime something could happen."

While residents think the shooting stemmed from drugs, they say the impact of the gun violence is just re-enforcing the sickness that's breaking up families.

“That's somebody son. That's somebody's brother. That's somebody's father, son, you know, cousin, nephew. It's somebody in the family,” Whitfield said.