TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Residents in a Westside neighborhood, Eagle Point Estates near Valencia and Vahalla, are demanding action after random bullets struck multiple homes, leaving families fearing for their safety.
Steve and Samantha Bellerson experienced a frightening incident Sunday night when a bullet struck the front of their home and went through the other side.
"My dog and I both heard a big snap coming from the, the dining room area, and I thought that maybe like, you know, our slat from our blind had fallen and hit the ground or something like that. And so I came to investigate the noise. I couldn't see anything that would have caused it," Steve explained. "But I did hear gunfire out in the desert and so I just backed away from the window thinking that, you know, it'd probably be a safe thing to do."
He said he found the hole and the bullet the next morning when he moved some furniture around.
"I was very scared that I was sitting there. If the bullet would have gone through the window, which is like a couple feet above where the bullet hit, it could have easily killed me while I was watching television," Steve said.
He says he filed a report with the Pima County Sheriff's Department (PCSD). PCSD said a deputy responded to the incident. The department says it's still looking into the case and statistics surrounding these types of calls.
The homes in Eagle Point Estates are in close proximity to an empty field, where neighbors say the gunshots are coming from almost every weekend.
Carlos Sam, who has lived in the area since 2014, said the shots have been happening more frequently over the past five years.
"In our area, we have a lot of desert behind our homes. There's a lot of riding that goes on, which has never bothered me until a lot of shootings started to happen," Sam said.
"We're in fear that one day one of our kids is gonna get hit. I've had many residents that came to me and voiced that they been in their own backyards enjoying their yard, their family time and they're having bullets fly over their heads," Sam said.
He said he's afraid to let his daughter Samantha go outside to play and to have family gatherings, especially with the holidays coming up.
Sam said last month, a bullet pierced neighbor Griselda Vasquez's garage and went through the back window of her car.
"She was gonna go out minutes before that happened. She was gonna go out and get groceries that she still had sitting in the trunk," Sam said.
Pete Smith is another neighbor that went to help Vasquez out after the incident and said after the bullet shattered her window, it landed in her head rest.
"So God forbid, if somebody was getting in the car to go to a store or whatever," Smith said.
He says PCSD did come out, retrieved the bullet and took a report.
"They said they can't really do much and that's where we're getting frustrated because that answer just doesn't suffice when we have people's lives in danger. More urgency needs to be placed," Smith continued.
Neighbors said they have had enough close calls and are asking PCSD to enforce the law and provide safety.
Kim Tatsumi has lived in the area for 20 years. He says it's been a great neighborhood until the recent crime wave that they've been experiencing.
"It has been particularly over the last year that the gunfire in the homes and in our community has become unbearable, unbelievable," Tatsumi said.
"I live with my significant other, Irene Dickinson, and we have two granddaughters, four years old, cutest little girls you'll ever see, and we cannot let them go out of the house on the weekend when they stay with us, and we worry about kids getting killed out here."
He says they've called the sheriff's department over the last 10 years to report the gunfire.
"All the community members whenever they heard gunfire, when they saw gunshots, we encouraged them. I used to be on the HOA board. We encouraged them to call it in to law enforcement and so yes, I've made many calls," Tatsumi said.
Tatsumi also mentioned that the field people are riding and shooting in is state trust land. There is a sign that says, "Permit required to enter."
"It is illegal for them to be riding out there. It is illegal and it's been ignored and we've been told, the HOA board as well as individuals, that it's a low priority thing for the sheriff's department," Tatsumi said.
He says his best friend who had a bullet hole in his house ended up moving away two years ago because they couldn't take it anymore.
Tatsumi wants safety to be a priority.
"When we cannot watch a Disney movie with our granddaughters and we have to worry about gunfire, we are not living in a safe neighborhood," Tatsumi said.
The neighbors all have the same question for law enforcement.
"When are we gonna get something done?" Sam asked.
Community members say they are doing their part, speaking up and putting together a petition for immediate safety action, asking for an increased patrol presence and an investigation into illegal firearm discharges.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Vanessa Gongora is KGUN 9's Westside reporter.. Vanessa fell in love with storytelling by growing up in sports. She was fascinated by how sports reporters go beyond the x's & o's to tell players' stories, and how sports bring people together, inspiring Vanessa to provide the same impact as a journalist. Share your story ideas and important issues with Vanessa by emailing vanessa.gongora@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
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