Springdale police: More gunfire, gang links possible

Police arrested two teen boys they say shot at a home on the 100 block of Pierce Avenue late Friday night and early Saturday morning, according to a news release Saturday.

The shooting may be connected to an early morning shooting Friday that left an 18-year-old man dead and two other young people injured at 32 Applegate Drive in Springdale, said Derek Hudson, police spokesman, in a message Saturday.

Police are looking into possible gang activity related to the shooting, Hudson said Friday. The Pierce Avenue home is about five blocks away from the apartments on Applegate Drive.

Police investigated gunshots heard at 10:23 p.m. Friday and found bullet holes in the front door of a home on Pierce Avenue. No one was injured, and the shooters had left the area, according to the news release.

At 1:46 a.m. Saturday, police were called back over more gunshots, the release stated.

Police searched and found a vehicle similar to what witnesses described, according to the news release. Witnesses had told police they “saw the suspects firing several rounds from the vehicle,” according to the news release.

Police found the car a few blocks North of the home, but the car sped away, according to the news release. Police chased the car through several neighborhoods until the car crashed into a fence at Pierce Avenue and Maple Drive, according to the news release.

People in the car fled on foot, the news release said, but police caught and arrested a 15-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy, Hudson said.

Police also found evidence at the crash linking the teens to the shootings at Pierce Avenue, according to the release. Police did not release the teenagers’ names Saturday. The two likely will face felony charges, according to the news release.

Police also have not released the names of the 17-year-old boy police said shot the three people Friday and have not release the name of a 14-year-old boy who was shot Friday, either.

The fatal shooting at Applegate Drive was under investigation Friday, Hudson said. The gunshots overnight at Pierce Avenue is also under investigation, he said.

Police were investigating a possible link to gang activity and the fatal shooting Friday, Hudson said.

The Springdale Police Department released Saturday afternoon a statement by Chief Kathy O’Kelley that advised people about gang activity, said what police are doing to fight it and gave tips on identifying gang members.

Police also are talking with other agencies about the Friday shooting death and about “the potential for further violence as a result of the recent events,” O’Kelley said in her statement posted to Facebook, an online social media Website.

Police track known members and educate parents about gang behavior, according to the statement. The Police Department also previously used a Crime Suppression Team to stop gang activity, the statement said. Police plan to restructure the team, according statement.

“Unfortunately, over the past several years, we have seen youth members arming themselves more frequently and being used by adult members to commit crime, as the youth members are treated far differently than adult members during the judicial process when arrested,” O’Kelley said in her statement.

The suspect in the fatal Friday shooting may be charged as an adult, Hudson said Friday.

Prosecuting Attorney Matt Durrett said he thought the 17-year-old boy remained in jail with a $250,000 bond Saturday. He was unsure about the newly arrested teen boys, he said in email Saturday.

"I'm guessing (the shootings are) connected, but don't know that for sure," Durrett said. "The decision to go adult will depend on the charges and their juvenile histories."

Upcoming Events