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ByWTOC Staff | Published:Jul. 11, 2021 at 5:53 AM EDT
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - The Savannah Police Department is investigating a shooting that happened Sunday around 3:20 a.m. in the Ellis Square area.
According to police there is one known victim at this time. The 37-year-old man from Pooler was transported to the hospital by private vehicle with non-life threatening injuries.
Officers in the area head gunshots in Ellis Square and responded to the scene. Police say the shooting likely “stemmed from a disagreement between two parties that dangerously and needlessly escalated from a verbal altercation to an aggravated assault,” according to a release from Savannah Police.
Police say no arrests have been made and they’re working to determine whether or not this was an isolated incident.
Businesses around City Market say crime near the area is a constant concern. The Georgia Tasting Room says it got to the point where they hired security to keep their staff safe.
“We are in the process of trying to hire multiple guys who can work the doors for us so we feel more safe because we are a bunch of pretty much 5-foot-hundred-pound-nothing girls working behind a bar,” said Kayla Herren, General Manager of Georgia tasting Room.
But for smaller, family-run businesses like the Beef Jerky Experience, they want the protection but wouldn’t be able to fund it.
“We wouldn’t be able to afford because we don’t open everyday so we don’t have so much sales.”
The Tasting Room says they also keep mace on-hand and tip jars empty. The general manager says the Tree House shooting months back sticks in her mind because it was just steps from their door.
“People were scared to come in City Market for a while. Some of my associates...I had an associate quit because of it. So like, it is definitely something I worry about that if someone hears about the shooting in Ellis or someone getting hurt or anything in the meantime...we’re not gonna have people comfortable to be out at night either in City Market or during the day.”
The co-owner of the Beef Jerky Experience says she feels better that Tree House has increased security...but the safety of her family and the community is always front of mind.
“When you hear about those innocent victims and you wanna know why is it happening so much and you don’t wanna be in situations when you somehow accidentally in an area where something like that happens. You don’t want it to happen. You want the city to be safe,” said Irena Jameson, co-owner of the Beef Jerky Experience.
The Tasting Room says hopefully law enforcement can start cracking down more on crime in the city, but until then, they have security measures in place.
Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or the Violent Crimes Tip Line at (912) 525-3124. Tipsters can also send tips to CrimeStoppers at (912) 234-2020. Tipsters remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.
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