I DEBATED WHETHER I should write about this. But my writing roots lie in journalism. And I can’t ignore hard news, especially hard news within my neighborhood.
This is the type of news you never want to read about in your community. Drive-by shootings. Yes, three. In Faribault. In an 11-block area. In six days. One two blocks from my house. All apparently connected, based on evidence collected at the scenes.
No one was struck in the shootings at homes along Willow Street (my street) and in the 900 block of Central Avenue and also at the Kwik Trip East convenience store.
At this point, the Faribault Police Department has formed a task force to address the crimes and Police Chief Andy Bohlen, in a news release, stated that “This type of violent crime is particularly alarming and we need this dangerous person (s) identified and taken into custody as soon as possible.”
I couldn’t agree more. You can read the entire news release by clicking here to reach the Faribault Police Department Facebook page and an August 30 posting.
At this point, I’m surprisingly not as rattled as I thought I would, or maybe should, be. My attitude bothers me. I should be outraged that someone is shooting at houses where children live. I should be worried that one house is only two blocks from mine, right next to the spot where my son once boarded his school bus. I should be concerned that bullets were fired into the convenience store where my family buys gas and the occasional groceries.
What is wrong with me that I feel only troubled and unsettled, but not outraged? Have I become too accustomed to violent crime?
ANYONE WITH INFORMATION about the drive-by shootings should contact the Faribault Police Department at (507) 334-4305 or the tipline at (507) 334-0999.
This post was written by Audrey Kletscher Helbling and originally published on Minnesota Prairie Roots.
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