Police expect arrest will be made soon in Hanover shootings

Cape Girardeau police have advanced an investigation into an string of shootings near the 400 block of South Hanover Street to the point where they expect to make an arrest shortly in at least one of the shootings, said Sgt. Barry Hovis, spokesman for the police department.

The investigation spanned nearly two weeks and involved a lot of statements from witnesses, but police needed to wait on lab results to return before they could make an arrest, Hovis said.

"We can't go on hearsay. We need rock-solid evidence," he said.

Police had some names of people who may have been involved and submitted some of the physical evidence collected at the scene to the crime lab for testing.

They were waiting to see if evidence supported what investigators had been told by witnesses, Hovis said.

The first shooting occurred around 6:40 p.m. Nov. 2, when a 27-year-old man suffered a gunshot wound to his right thigh.

Police indicated the shooting may have stemmed from an ongoing altercation that erupted earlier that weekend at a dance hall.

When officers arrived at the scene in the 400 block of South Hanover Street, they were unable to locate either the shooter or the victim, who had transported himself to a nearby hospital.

The second incident occurred Nov. 3, when police had responded to a report of gunfire in the area of South Hanover and Bloomfield streets, near the scene of the previous night's shooting.

Then at around 10:15 p.m. Nov. 4, police were again called to the neighborhood for a shooting on Bloomfield Street near the the same intersection. There, a 27-year-old man was shot in the arm. The bullet passed through and became lodged in his hip.

A 16-year-old also suffered a gunshot wound to the foot, Hovis said. Neither injury was considered life-threatening, and both were transported by private vehicle or by foot to an area hospital for treatment.

"We feel that the cases are related," Hovis said.

Since the shootings, police have worked to maintain a visible presence in the neighborhood, hoping to quell any further unrest, Capt. Roger Fields said.

Officers have made a habit of getting out of their cars to patrol the area on foot, particularly at night, since the shootings.

"It's the most effective thing you can do," Fields said.

Issuing citations when they see people violating city ordinances has also helped to send a message, Fields said.

Police have gotten complaints about people walking in the streets in that area and impeding the flow of traffic, so officers have been quick to issue citations for walking in the street where a sidewalk is available, Fields said.

"It lets people know that we won't tolerate it," he said.

bdicosmo@semissourian.com

388-3635

Have a comment?

Log on to semissourian.com