Residents in the West End gathered Tuesday night for a march to deliver a message that violence must end following a series of recent incidents in the area.
"I think there is a lot more good than bad. And it's unfortunate that major incidents like this highlight the bad," said Kerry Flemington, who lives on Victor Street.
On May 25, Kyle Earle, 16, was killed and his 13-year-old friend injured in a shooting on Toronto Street. The next day, a 10-year-old girl was hit in the leg by gunfire and her eight-year-old sister was struck by debris from a ricochet inside a home on Victor Street.
A six-year-old girl was also sexually assaulted by a suspect on Langside Street on May 23.
Kathy Kirton knows the victims from both shootings in the area. She said she's doubtful things can get better.
"There is nothing you can really do. It's not going to stop. With more police around here it's going to keep quite, but it's not going to stop," said Kirton.
Following the shootings, officers carried out search warrants at homes in the area and began increasing their presence in the neighbourhood.
Police charged a suspect for the shooting on Victor Street. Officers also arrested a man for the sexual assault of the young girl on Langside. No one has been arrested yet for the fatal shooting on Toronto Street.
Some in the area believe a solution requires more than just additional police officers, in order to stop the violence before it happens.
"It means more work on the ground and it means more understanding of where these issues are coming from in the first place," said Kate Sjoberg of the Spence Neighbourhood Association.
The group planned to march to locations in the neighbourhood where the recent violence took place.
Kerry Flemington said she and her family would attend to send out a strong signal to criminals.
"I think fear is what they live on," said Flemington. "If people say ‘we're not afraid of you' then hopefully they will find other (places)."
Police officers wouldn't comment on the effect of their increased presence, but said they've made many arrests in connection with drugs, mischief and outstanding warrants since allocating more resources to the area.
Officers told CTV News that no timeline has been set for how long the additional officers will be focused on the West End, but will stay as long as needed.
- with a report from CTV's Stacey Ashley
