BECKLEY, W.Va. –With a spike in shooting incidents in the past week, Beckley Police said they’re gonna increase their patrols along with bringing in help from federal and state partners.
Three shooting incidents were reported in Beckley last week between Tuesday, April 18, and Saturday, April 22. A shooting Thursday killed a man who was sitting in the passenger seat of a vehicle with his wife and kids in the car.
The Tuesday shooting is currently being handled by the Beckley Sheriff’s Department and is unrelated to the two shootings that happened later in the week.
Beckley officers said they believe the shootings on Thursday and Saturday are connected. Morgan Bragg agreed. He’s the Chief of Detectives in Beckley.
“It appears they definitely are connected,” Bragg said Monday. “These were targeted incidents between these two groups of individuals.”
As a result, an increased police presence is expected.
“We’ve actually reached out to state and federal partners, and they have provided resources and personnel. We’re going to increase our presence in those neighborhoods to try and stem this violence,” said Bragg.
According to Beckley Police, Malique Medley, 30, of Beckley, was in the passenger seat traveling with his wife and two children at the intersection of Scott Avenue and Eighth Street at about 11:20 p.m. Thursday. A man standing nearby began shooting into the passenger side. Medley was driven to the hospital by his wife, where he later died.
Bragg said they found 32 shell cases at the scene of the shooting and that three black men were witnessed running from the scene.
Witnesses also told police they saw three black men running from a scene of a collision Saturday.
Beckley officers responded to a shots fired call on Sheridan Avenue near 7th Street around 8:30 p.m.
Two vehicles had collided, one was positioned off the roadway in a ditch. Three black men were found by witnesses outside the vehicle with gunshot wounds. The men had taken off from the scene before law enforcement arrived.
Authorities recovered multiple firearms and approximately one-hundred fired cartridge casings from the vehicles.
Bragg said its unfortunate that these individuals have chosen to handle the problems amongst them with gunfire.
“That puts a lot of people at risk,” he said. “We live in these communities and we see this violence occurring. It’s maddening to see that they take the risks that they do and they put people at risk.”
The Chief of Detectives is asking for help from the public in identifying the people involved in these recent shootings.
“Every little bit helps us of course, so if anyone could provide information we would appreciate it,” Bragg said.
Anyone with information on the East Beckley incidents are urged to contact either Beckley Police or Crimestoppers at 304-255-STOP. Cash rewards may be paid for information leading to an arrest.