Union City home targeted for fourth time

UNION CITY, Calif. (KGO) -- Four shootings outside one Union City home in a matter of months have left two people dead and neighbors living in fear. The latest shooting happened just Sunday night outside the home on Whipple Road near Mission Boulevard. Union City police have asked a California Department of Justice major crimes task force to help in this investigation. They are hoping that might lead them to some suspects, if not a solution to all the violence.

The home at 657 Whipple Road was quiet on Monday, but what keeps happening there has terrorized the Union City neighborhood for months.

The bullet holes, crime scene tape, and medical equipment left behind by paramedics tell the story. In September a father died after being shot in the driveway by his own stepson and in May there were multiple shots fired at the house didn't hit anyone, but sent bullets flying into the home next door, just missing a young child. A few days later, a man standing outside the home was shot dead. Now, another fatal shooting happened again Sunday night.

"The common denominator of these incidents appears to be the residence," said Union City Police Lt. Ben Horner.

A 22-year-old man visiting someone at the house was shot in the front yard. He's in critical condition and expected to survive. The shooter ran off through the neighborhood and just like many times before, police have few leads and no witnesses willing to talk.

"We're confident that there may be some witnesses out there. We would like people to come forward," said Horner.

Police say at least some of the shootings may be gang related. Officers have stepped up patrols and Union City authorities handed the case over to the state Department Of Justice major crimes task force.

"We don't have no choice because we have no place to go," said a neighbor who wanted to remain anonymous.

The family who lived immediately next door just moved out.

"It's the other people around. It's not this house, it's not the people in this house, it's everybody else around it," said resident Bianca Almazan.

Almazan says her bed-ridden grandmother owns the home being shot at, multiple generations now live there, and neighbors live in fear.

"Why? What can I do? It's happened so many times, so it is kind of scary. I don't want nothing happening to my children," said the anonymous neighbor.

One man in the neighborhood asked the ABC7 crew covering this story to back away from his house because he doesn't want anyone associated with these shootings to even think that he is talking to the media. That's how scared neighbors are.

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union city, crime, shooting, east bay news, cecilia vega

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