Walterboro, SC - Neighbors in Walterboro are not sleeping easy lately. This after nearly a dozen people are shot in just three nights, but local leaders say they are taking back the streets.

A deadly drive by shooting Monday outside a home on McDaniel Street left three dead and six injured. Then a few days later, another shooting, just blocks away, sends another two men to the hospital.  The violence keeping the neighborhood behind locked doors.

“There’s a lot of people talking about fear in the community afraid to go to work,” Assistant Reverend Phillip Taylor.

Only one arrest has been made so far in connection to Monday’s shooting, Danziel Chapman, charged with murder. His cousin, who did not want to be identified, says the shootings are connected and the gunfire may not be silenced just yet.

“Tomorrow, the next day, whatever you’re going to hear more shooting,” said Chapman’s cousin. 

But Walterboro Mayor Bill Young says law enforcement officials are doing everything possible to keep that from happening again.

“We’re going to have a greatly increased police presence in Walterboro beginning now. We have additional law enforcement officers from SLED, also from ATF, and I understand State Marshalls,” Mayor Young said.

Mayor Young is hoping those taking matters into their own hands on the streets stop before more lives are lost.

“There’s a mentality now among some young people that they are going to handle all their problems. And they need to trust us enough and trust law enforcement enough to come to us and let us intervene,” Mayor Young said.

Some lawmakers had asked the governor to declare a state of emergency in Walterboro, but the governor declined.

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