Gunshots Ring Out in Western Plateau Waking the Neighborhood

There's nothing like getting woke from a dead sleep to gunshots in your neighborhood.

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This is exactly what happened early Friday morning, June 10th.  To be honest, my brain didn't compute that they were gunshots.  I thought it was one of my dogs wagging its tail against the tin on my wall.  As fast as I woke up, I went back to sleep. It's funny how your mind can convince you that what you heard wasn't what you heard.

It wasn't until I woke up this morning to see the flood of posts on the FB neighborhood page.   It was indeed gunshots and lots of them.

UPDATE 6/10, 9:07am.  According to a press release from the Amarillo Police Department, the incident took place in the area of SW 53rd and Oregon.  They were called out on multiple shots fired and then were directed to the apartments at 5700 Canyon Drive.  Two people were taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.  When arriving at the apartments police found a large party taking place.  Police unsuccessfully tried to call the suspect's outside the apartment with a PA.  The Amarillo PD CIRT team was called out as well as SWAT, negotiators, and the bomb team. Police found several weapons in the apartment where the party occurred.  Amarillo PD interviewed witnesses trying to identify the suspects.  If you have any information about this incident contact Amarillo Crimestoppers at 374-4400 or you can submit a tip at amapolice.org.

As of this time, the suspects, nor those taken to the hospital have been identified.

Speaking to one of the ladies in the neighborhood, Sheena Griffin, who witnessed most of the aftermath, she said that it was all happening at the Cottonwood Apartments near the Pine Shed.

She said that three men barricaded themselves in an apartment with guns, but before that, she believed the men were shooting at cars or something happened.

This has been the second incident where police have been in the Western Plateau neighborhood dealing with someone barricaded in their home in the last 2 weeks. Randall County Sheriffs were trying to serve a warrant to Katasha Justine Woodard on Saturday, June 4th. She barricaded herself in a home on Chisholm Trl, she was arrested on charges of criminal trespass and criminal mischief.

Hopefully, this isn't a trend for this neighborhood for the crime rate to shoot up.  Unfortunately, this isn't just happening more and more in this neighborhood, it's happening all over Amarillo.