BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Buffalo police are investigating six shootings that left 12 people with non-life-threatening injuries in the overnight hours of the Fourth of July.
According to police, officers responded to multiple calls throughout the city overnight.
At least one of the shootings happened on the corner of East Delavan Avenue and Stevens Avenue, where one person was shot.
Ahmed Ayash spent Sunday morning cleaning up the broken glass and trash outside his corner store, Shabba 2 Market, that he's owned for 35 years.
"Look what they do. They try to burn the building," Ayash said. "It wasn't like this."
"We are residents here. We are people over here. We're doing business. We've got kids, you know, everybody was scared," Ayash said.
Lisa, who lives above the store with her six children, heard the gunshots.
"We saw the cops had to pick him up and put him into the back of the police car because the ambulance couldn't get through," Lisa said.
"Very scared. I didn't want my kids going outside. We had them watching the fireworks at the windows, and I made sure they stayed out of the windows when the police had to show up because people were shooting and people were literally throwing fireworks at vehicles," Lisa said. "It was ridiculous. It was just really crazy."
"It was about 10, 20 police cars out here. Nobody can get through," another person said.
Buffalo Police Present John Davidson told 7 News that one officer was targeted at his own home.
"After interacting with a crowd on the street in which he lives, they then targeted him and his house was attacked and windows were broken and his wife and children were in fear for their lives," Davidson said.
"Just the reality is there's not enough officers right now," Davidson said. "They're spread too thin and at some point the dam was going to break and unfortunately we're seeing that with this summer and even more so with last night."
The Buffalo Police Benevolent Association released the following statement in a Facebook post.
"Last night and into this morning our area hospitals were overflowing with shooting victims, with double digit victims from a half dozen scenes.
Officers were cursed at, spit on, and had fireworks hurled in their direction. One officer’s home was intentionally targeted, leaving his windows broken and his wife and young children in a fear that I cannot imagine.
Buffalo is in the midst of one of its most violent summers on record.
To the many, if not most, Buffalo residents who support the police, now is the time to speak up. Now is the time to vocally advocate for police intervention to reclaim your neighborhoods. Don’t let your public safety stance end at the doorstep.
This is not the PBA against the Department. The Department needs more officers. The City needs more intervention. This is undeniable. If this was a question within City Hall before this weekend, it should be in neon lights for you by now.
City Hall: Include us in the process and let’s work on a contract that will attract, before it is too late for Buffalo."
Commissioner Erika Shields will hold a press conference on Monday to provide more information regarding the shootings over the weekend.
ECMC told 7 News that although the hospital "was very busy - 29 traumas received, including several gunshot wound patients - the hospital never went on diversion."
