Reaction to the Downtown Tourist Shooting (San Antonio, Bryan: crime, loan, safe area)

[Primo]

Originally Posted by googie2525

Agreed, St. Paul's ain't exactly the tourist-world area of downtown. IF the shooting happened on the River Walk though, NOW that would be a huge PR problemo.

I completely agree with this. St. Paul is definitely off the beaten path, unless there is an event at the dome and lots of people are walking to and fro. I think a few years back someone unloaded like 30-40 rounds in the Sunset station parking lot and that got a lot of press. I think only 1 person was killed, as most idiot combatants know..."spray and pray" doesn't work well.

It is not a DC or Philly, but I think you are asking for trouble walking around at night in that area. I will say, that North Philly around Temple University is the scariest place I have ever driven through, worse than East St Louis, worse than South side of Chicago.

[michelangelosa]

Originally Posted by Primo

It is not a DC or Philly, but I think you are asking for trouble walking around at night in that area.

I don't think so. This was an isolated event that was between people who knew each other or knew each other by proxy. This wasn't random and like was said before, began in a different area of East San Antonio but the end result just took place in Sunset Station.

[gy2020]

I know this may not be on tract, but talk about senseless shootings, the notorious John Wesley Hardin shot a man for snoring. And in Houston, I read where a man shot another man because he would not give him a light.

[Chakapu]

Originally Posted by googie2525

Agreed, St. Paul's ain't exactly the tourist-world area of downtown. IF the shooting happened on the River Walk though, NOW that would be a huge PR problemo.

Except that that area is trying very hard to Revitalize and to become a tourist area in and of itself. There's been a big push to make the near East-side a place to be.

We walk there often enough (although, annoyingly, there's no easy walking path between Lavaca and Sunset Station), and feel perfectly safe. This was a random event that could have happened anywhere. Tourists were not targetted.

[PopsGuysRule]

Originally Posted by Bowie

Wednesday evening, a tourist walking in St. Paul Square near Sunset Station and some luxury condos was wounded in the leg by a stray bullet fired during an argument nearby in which a local man was killed. The tourist wasn't seriously hurt, but the local reaction (http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA0208.05B.shootingfolo.3279a60.html - broken link) has been interesting.

The police chief extended the downtown bicycle patrols across I-37 to cover the St. Paul Square area.

Also, Southwest Airlines comped the wounded woman's flight home to DC and the Convention and Visitors Bureau is offering to comp her a vacation package back to San Antonio, including a hotel stay and Spurs tickets if she wants it.

I heard Jim Forsyth comment on WOAI this morning that the city's swift reaction happened because they are afraid this incident might lead to public perception that downtown is unsafe, which would kill the tourist trade. According to Forsyth, a shooting in the early 1990s at Windsor Park Mall caused an immediate drop in business there and led to major stores bailing out of the mall about 2 years later. If the same thing were to happen to the Riverwalk, that would be a real blow to the local economy.

Do you think the city will let me be her bodyguard on the next visit and give ME the Spurs tickets???

Okay, I know, reaaaaalllllly sick.... sorry......
(have I ever happened to mention I love the Spurs and especially my boyfriend Bruce???
so sorry, really, I know that was sick... but .... do you think maybe????

[michelangelosa]

Originally Posted by Chakapu

Except that that area is trying very hard to Revitalize and to become a tourist area in and of itself. There's been a big push to make the near East-side a place to be.

We walk there often enough (although, annoyingly, there's no easy walking path between Lavaca and Sunset Station), and feel perfectly safe. This was a random event that could have happened anywhere. Tourists were not targetted.

It's also that the person shot happened to be in the Sunset Station area and more than likely wasn't expecting someone to pull up and shoot them.

[Chakapu]

Originally Posted by michelangelosa

It's also that the person shot happened to be in the Sunset Station area and more than likely wasn't expecting someone to pull up and shoot them.

???
I think most people shot are not usually expecting someone to pull up and shoot them.

[BenjaminNicholas]

Honestly, I think the local media is making a bigger deal about this than they need to. It's really just scare tactic. Downtown is MOSTLY safe. No city out there is immune to this kind of thing... SA's just lucky that it doesn't hit the more touristy parts of town more often.

If anything good comes from this shooting, it may be that the Watermark Hotel will offer some reduced price Valentines Day Packages: Including a dozen roses, bottle of bubbly and kevlar vest.

I think what we really need to focus on is the SAPD's track record of abuse, neglect, prejudice and other issues the force has had in the past 10 year period. Reform is needed and not in the form of inner-office task forces. It's time for Hardberger to perk up and take notice of this.



BN

[sakssa]

It was only a matter of time before something like this happened. With that many thugs hanging out on every corner with nothing to do it's no surprise. The city needs to get this trash out of downtown before it's too late. The via bus stops are one of the main reasons these idiots hang out there.

[ryneone]

Originally Posted by sakssa

It was only a matter of time before something like this happened. With that many thugs hanging out on every corner with nothing to do it's no surprise. The city needs to get this trash out of downtown before it's too late. The via bus stops are one of the main reasons these idiots hang out there.

Did you even read the story? This started and stayed out of downtown. You are right they need to correct the hoodlum problem soon it has gotten outta control. But these were 20+ grown men and not the ten year olds with time to waste.