By LESLIE COLLINS
Northeast News
January 9, 2013

Gladstone Elementary School, 335 N. Elmwood, was temporarily placed on lockdown today after gunshots were fired at a yellow house located at the corner of North Elmwood and Scarritt across the street from the school.

Northeast resident Lisa Skinner said she heard the shots around 2:20 p.m. and called 911.

“I heard a boom, and then a boom, boom, boom and I knew it was gunfire,” she said.

Steve McAdams, who lives about a block away from the yellow house, said he heard the gunfire over his surround sound.

“When the shots first started, there was a school bus in front of my house,” he said. “They (bus driver) did not let them off.”

Both Skinner and McAdams said illegal drug activity is a regular issue in the neighborhood, adding that the yellow house is one of the problems.

“We’ve had a lot of problems with that house,” Skinner said.

Cars pull up to the house at all hours of the day, she said, and honk the horn for someone to exit the house. The vehicles only stay a few seconds, long enough for a drug exchange, she said.

“We want to clean this neighborhood up,” Skinner said. “It’s a nice neighborhood, but a few make it bad for everybody.”

According to police, a silver Cadillac pulled up to the house and fired four shots into the front of the home. Nine youth were inside the home, but no one was injured. Following the gunfire, the car sped away. Police have secured the scene and are continuing to investigate.