Martinsville Bulletin, Inc.
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Martinsville, Virginia 24115
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Don Lawson of Lawson’s Home Furnishings points to the hole where a pane of glass was shot and shattered Thursday night. The tempered glass remained intact. (Bulletin photo by Mike Wray) |
Sunday, July 12, 2009
By DEBBIE HALL - Bulletin Staff Writer
Local authorities are working to resolve 91 property shootings at area businesses, vehicles and homes overnight Thursday and Friday.
The 91 incidents include 46 in various parts of Henry County overnight Thursday, according to Henry County Sheriff Lane Perry.
Martinsville Police Lt. R.A. Turner said in the city, 29 incidents were reported in that time frame, with another 16 reported between late afternoon Friday and Saturday.
Henry County Sheriff’s Lt. Kimmy Nester said Friday the shots were fired into cars, businesses and “even a trailer or two” from what likely was a BB gun.
Martinsville Police Capt. Eddie Cassady said “the incidents were pretty well scattered and random” in the areas of Memorial Boulevard, Chatham Heights, Jefferson Circle and Commonwealth Boulevard.
Some of those areas were hit both nights, Turner said.
In the county, areas affected included Villa Heights, U.S. 220 North through Collinsville, and Lee Street, according reports.
City and county authorities are conducting a joint investigation into the incidents, both Nester and Cassady said.
Perry said investigators were conducting interviews through much of Saturday “and we are hoping for a quick resolution.”
A total damage estimate was not available, Perry said, but he expects it is “very costly in many different aspects,” including insurance for vehicle owners and businesses.
“We’ll all have to pay for this in one form or another,” the sheriff said.
No injuries were reported in connection with the incidents in either the city or county, authorities said.
“We are fortunate in that respect,” Perry said.
Officers first began noticing the vandalisms at about 7 p.m. Thursday, and they received complaints until early Friday morning, according to Cassady and Nester.
Reports began coming in again late-afternoon through overnight Friday into Saturday, Turner said.
Don Lawson said he was contacted around 10 p.m. Thursday by police who found damaged glass at Lawson Home Furnishings in Collinsville.
Lawson went to the store and found the tempered glass shattered, but it did not break because it was held in place by membranes, Lawson said. Building codes require tempered glass to be installed near doors, he added.
As Lawson worked inside the store Thursday night to take sale posters out of the windows so he could better assess the damage, police were patrolling outside.
Police “were all up and down Virginia Avenue searching for a vehicle” when Lawson said he heard more shots fired from a vehicle passing by.
According to reports Lawson heard, the incidents affected several areas, including Brookdale Road and Patrick Henry Mall in Martinsville.
Nester said authorities believe the bulk of the incidents in the county occurred overnight Thursday and started winding down around 3:30 a.m. Friday.
While they cannot discuss specifics of the investigation, Nester said authorities are “interested in talking to anybody who may know any of the vehicles involved or individuals who may have participated in this activity.”
Vehicle descriptions are not available, Nester said, and speculated that vehicles could have been switched throughout the incident.
“We continue to ask the public if anyone has any information to please call” authorities, Perry said.
The Henry County Sheriff’s Office can be reached at 656-4200, the Martinsville Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at 403-5300, Communications (non-emergency) at 638-8751 or CrimeStoppers at 63C-RIME (632-7463).
Rewards of up to $1,000 are available through Crime Stoppers for information related to unsolved crimes. The amount of any reward is determined by the nature of the crime and the substance of information provided and you do not have to reveal your identity.
Lawson said he is offering a $1,000 reward in addition to funds offered by CrimeStoppers,for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible.
He also urged anyone with information to call the authorities. |
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