Increased gang violence in Sikeston has DPS seeking answers

SIKESTON, Mo. — Early morning Feb. 19, 16 people were shot, two of whom died, at a party in Charleston, Missouri. The shooting has been linked to gang violence, a problem that is increasing in the area, leaving law enforcement such as Sikeston Department of Public Safety scrambling to get it under control.

In January alone, Sikeston had 26 shots fired calls and of those 20 were gang related, according to Sikeston DPS Chief James McMillen.

"That is cars being shot, houses being shot and people being shot. That's everything," McMillen said.

Since Jan. 1, three people have been shot in Sikeston related to gang violence.

"We've had two homicides since Christmas and those were domestic, not gang related," DPS detective Flint Dees said. "Three were actually shot and six houses hit that were gang related and two cars were shot at or hit that were gang related. All separate incidents."

It is an ongoing problem that continues to worsen and has law enforcement very concerned.

McMillen said since a shooting at the Cotton Carnival in October 2020, police began noticing an increase in the violence, including shootings in the Sunset Drive and Magnolia areas. After an increase in patrols in that area, the shootings seemed to subside but not for long.

"In December (the shootings) seemed to just skyrocket," McMillen said. "Going into January, it persisted and it hasn't really went down. Normally, we see that type of thing kind of subside because the weather gets cold. And then we are always kind of nervous about April and May when it warms up.

"My concern is we aren't going to see it subside and maybe it's going to warm up and even get worse, which has been the trend," he said.

McMillen said the issue DPS officers used to have was large groups fighting in the streets.

"We would run out there and find 30 to 40 people in the street. Most of them are watching but there was a small portion in there just going at it, fighting," McMillen said. "We just do not see that anymore. What we see now is people immediately going to guns."

Parties

One of the main issues with local gang violence is parties, such as the one held in Charleston on the night of Feb. 18 into the morning of Feb. 19.

The parties draw a large number of people, who come from all over the area, including Southern Illinois.

"The parties are something I'm really concerned about because there are large numbers of people there and we know a relatively small portion of them are involved in guns, gangs and dope. That's not a good combination and that's what we saw play out in Charleston," McMillen said.

Sikeston DPS gives a lot of attention to the parties, as they do any large gathering. McMillen said any time there are a large number of people getting together, especially with alcohol, there is extra attention paid. The rodeo is an example, where law enforcement is visible throughout the rodeo grounds to try to quell any disturbances.

When Sikeston DPS is aware of a party, officers will do walk-throughs and make themselves very visible. McMillen said some people get frustrated with the attention DPS gives the parties but he would rather have people upset than end up with a situation where there is an issue. But even when there is a police presence, a disturbance can happen, as was proven last year at a party in Cape Girardeau where a shooting happened even though police officers were present.

"Most of the people who go to those parties are looking to have a good time," McMillen said. "I don't think that there is any criminal activity in their mind. The issue is that there is a very small percentage of the whole, involved in this violent gang culture."

Dees said many local communities have problems with the parties and shootings among the younger crowds. And the problems stretch beyond parties as even high school basketball games have been disrupted by gang violence.

On Jan. 25, a large disturbance erupted during a Caruthersville at Charleston basketball game where several individuals were fighting and throwing food, drinks and other objects on the court. Charleston Department of Public Safety advised they believed some Sikeston students and residents were involved with the large disturbance.

Then, two days later, a large disturbance broke out at a basketball game in Caruthersville between Hayti and Caruthersville as several individuals were fighting on the court, forcing the game to be stopped and canceled. Surveillance video from the game was able to identify multiple individuals from Sikeston, both students and adults actively fighting and assaulting individuals, with several of those being members and associates of gangs.

The following day it was decided before the Charleston/Sikeston basketball game that known individuals of street gangs would not be allowed to attend the game at the Sikeston Field House. Several individuals were told they would not be allowed to attend and law enforcement monitored the door. One person, who does not attend Sikeston High School, was asked to leave but refused. He was arrested after making a scene in the foyer.

"It's difficult when you have a mix of this town and that town and this group and that group," Dees said. "We have basketball games with issues, not to mention a party where everybody is drinking and whatever you do at a party."

And when violence happens in one community, such as what happened in Charleston, it spills over to other communities and impacts them as well.

"The violence in Charleston affects us and the violence that we have often affects New Madrid," McMillen said. "We see people from Cape who come here or people from here who go to Cape."

Schools

Besides basketball games, schools have also seen incidents involved with the gang culture.

On Dec. 6, five students were fighting at Sikeston High School, where four gang members or affiliates assaulted a victim affiliated with a rival gang. One of the juvenile gang members told officers the rival gang member had threatened one of them with a gun the night before.

An evidence stick placed by Sikeston Department of Public Safety detectives documents where a bullet went through a chair and hit an individual playing a video game, during a recent investigation on Clayton Avenue in Sikeston, Missouri.Ryan Mitchell ~ Special to the Standard Democrat

Then on Jan. 24, three Sikeston High School students were fighting in the cafeteria. One alleged gang member and two brothers were arrested for fighting in what was believed a retaliation for the felony assault of a person Jan. 9 in the 400 block of Clayton Avenue in Sikeston.

McMillen said he recently sat down with school officials as well as juvenile officers to make a plan to utilize what resources DPS has. Typically, DPS has one student resource officer, funded by the school district, who covers all the schools.

"We discussed where do we need to be, at what time," McMillen said about the meeting. "We try to help supplement by officers who are working day patrol, if they have time. I get them to do a walk-through. I do walk-throughs. We just try to be seen and to have that presence. I think that helps.

"The SRO actually knows the kids. The officers are more of just an officer presence," he said.

McMillen said the department recently was able to add a second SRO to the schools, typically having one at the junior high school and the other at the high school.

DPS will also be having regular meetings with school officials and juvenile officers in order to share information about those individuals causing the problems with violence or threats of violence.

"I think we work really well with the school in all aspects," Dees said. "They're excellent. They know everyone better than we know them."

Getting control

McMillen said he has shifted patrols and is trying to put some focus on the areas seeing the violence.

DPS is currently short 10 officers but is trying to make use of the few officers they have, while also trying to improve communication with the public to get the best information.

"I want to try to get a community meeting in the area where this violence is happening to try to bring awareness to the parents of what is taking place," McMillen said. "We have an obligation to do that.

"I hope that will alert people to help us investigate and prevent this type of crime," he said.

Many people do not want to give information to the police because they will be labeled a "snitch" and fear retaliation. But McMillen said there are many ways the public can help without naming names.

"If they see suspicious behavior, they can call (DPS) and just let us know that there is a group of people out on this street and something doesn't look right," McMillen said. "Something as simple as that would be really helpful."

A major concern for law enforcement and the community is the gang violence will spill over to those who are not involved in gangs.

In some instances, the shooters are spraying the neighborhood with gunfire, hitting houses and cars that are not the intended target. In another instance, a house was shot just three minutes after DPS had left after investigating a prior shooting.

"We have got to get some kind of control over these shootings because my fear is there is going to be a young child shot that is uninvolved, other citizens shot that are uninvolved or we're going to have to work a homicide of one of these gang members, which I don't want to have to do," McMillen said. "Or we're going to have to work an officer involved shooting or one of our officers shot."

One scary situation occurred at 3:15 p.m. Feb. 2 when the rear of a residence in the 200 block of West Gladys Street was hit by many shots from an AK-47 and 9 mm.

A DPS sergeant was in the headquarters parking lot when he heard shots and engaged in a foot pursuit with a suspect with the 9 mm.

"The (suspect) threw the gun down when he was trapped, but the gun was jammed, so who knows what he would have done," Dees said.

"To me, having an officer involved shooting, that really scares me," McMillen said. "That scenario doesn't get much closer to having that play out, where the officer has to shoot or the officer gets shot."

Future

While setting up a future meeting with community, scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Lincoln University in Sikeston, McMillen is also working with PACT (Police and Community Together) to incorporate them as well.

One thing McMillen, and community groups, are looking to is youth and working to find a way to keep them out of gangs. He said community groups, like those at Lincoln University, and other organizations are working to try to put together a plan.

"They are trying to find a way to identify kids that look like they are on that path," McMillen said. "Maybe even as young as elementary or middle school and try to mentor them and keep them off that path of gangs and violence."

The idea is a long-term solution and at-risk youth are not easy to identify but McMillen hopes to get churches and other groups involved.

Along with Lincoln University, McMillen also mentioned a proposed community center being built by Grace Bible Fellowship that would provide a place for youth to be mentored.

"I don't know what the answer is, but we're going to have to find a solution for this or it's going to affect everybody,"McMillen said.