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Mike Whitehead of Orem and his family were awakened suddenly in their home at about 4 a.m. on Sept. 13 by a disturbing sound -- gunshots ringing in the air.
"It went, 'Bang, bang, bang, bang,' " Whitehead recalled of the noise. "It woke my daughter, who was sleeping downstairs. Our Lab retriever jumped off the bed and started barking at the top of its lungs. People were running around outside -- up and down the street. My daughter asked, 'Are those gunshots?' I knew they were gunshots. I decided to call the police."
Just that quickly, Whitehead found himself and his family in the middle of the aftermath of an alleged gang-related drive-by shooting in their Geneva Heights neighborhood.
"[It] happened right in front of my house," Whitehead said. "The shell casings were on my property. People were very upset."
The Orem police response was immediate. Within a few minutes there were numerous patrol cars on the scene, and the area was secured. An arrest has been made in the case.
"An officer came and asked to search my property for evidence," said Whitehead. "He asked if we were all OK, and I said, 'Yes.' He asked what I had seen."
The officer recommended that Whitehead and his family remain indoors. Shell casings from a 9 mm handgun were found on the ground, and police spray-painted their locations.
"Where the shots were fired was very dangerous," Whitehead said. "They were fired at the [natural gas] meters, and could have hit a gas line. It was unnerving, but we were lucky."
Whitehead, himself a volunteer in Orem's Neighborhoods in Action organization, contacted the neighborhood co-chairs, Wayne and Chris Tobler, who put in motion a phone and e-mail campaign of area residents requesting that city officials address the problem.
"It was like we had an instant network," Whitehead said. "People were mad, disappointed and upset, but worked through the system the way it should be done. No one was mean, or nasty, or threatened or screamed at the City Council. But we made our point, and it was handled appropriately. We do believe in the saying 'The squeaky wheel gets the oil.' "
Neighbors told police that they suspected the intended targets of the attempted shooting were several individuals renting a unit in a nearby apartment building. Whitehead said officers advised the concerned residents that they would need to contact the apartment's landlord with a citizen-generated complaint to have the individuals evicted. The landlord has since issued the apartment's occupants a seven-day eviction notice. Whitehead said he made it a point to visit the new tenants and become acquainted with them.
When the Whiteheads were planning to move from another Orem neighborhood several years ago, they were drawn to the Geneva Heights area because of the unique dynamics of the neighborhood, with its variety of cultures.
"There are people from Brazil, from Mexico, from New York, and the Polynesian islands -- a potpourri of people," Whitehead said. "My wife and I decided this is where we needed to be."
Earlier this year, the diverse cultures represented in the neighborhood have come together, holding several block parties, he said. Six of the seven districts in the area have held the gatherings, with food and entertainment, providing the opportunity for neighbors to get to know each other. Whitehead said he attended five of the six events.
"Hopefully, the block parties will happen twice a year," Whitehead said. Neighborhood cleanups are planned for spring through Neighborhoods in Action.
There will be a meeting Oct. 21, at 6 p.m. in the Geneva Elementary School cafeteria, where the Orem police gang task force will be presenting information to interested residents.
"I can just advocate getting involved," Whitehead said. "Lose yourself. Get out of your comfort zone. I think that's what neighbors are -- people working together." |
