BEAUMONT, Texas — Residents in Beaumont's North End are fearing for their safety after gunshots erupted Tuesday afternoon and sent one man to the hospital.
A City of Beaumont contract worker is recovering from a gunshot wound after he was shot while working in the city's North End. A day later, police are searching for five young male suspects.
Some people who live nearby Wilson Street said they heard multiple gunshots.
RELATED: City of Beaumont contract worker recovering in hospital after daylight shooting in North End
Bullet holes left behind in the city truck were visible. It has the neighbors fearing for their lives.
"I used to love to sit outside, that [isn’t] happening no more,” said one neighbor who wanted to remain anonymous.
Fearing for her own safety, a woman who lives near the 2500 block of Wilson Street agreed to share her story but not her identity.
She was on her way home from work when she saw police officers in her neighborhood. She would soon learn that Beaumont Police officers were responding to a shooting.
What makes this crime even more shocking is who was being shot at.
“It has you scared to sit outside. You know my grandbabies come over. I’m scared to even let them come out and play," the neighbor said.
"Two of the workers were sitting in the city water department vehicle,” Beaumont Police officers Haley Morrow said. “They were approached by four to five black males young and age. Two of them were armed with handguns. Shots were fired, one of the workers was struck."
Morrow said it’s too early to know the motivation behind the shooting.
To complicate matters, the victim of the shooting is not cooperating.
Another worker who saw everything go down is helping with the investigation.
"It's an aggravated assault. Luckily, that other person was not struck by gunfire, but a very well could have been and, you know, we're grateful that it wasn't a homicide," Morrow said.
12News has confirmed the name of the company the contractor works for is "Advanced Staffing" in Beaumont.
We reached out for comment but have not received one yet. For now, many neighbors are left wondering when the culprits will be found.
“You’re scared. You’re scared to leave. You never know what’s gonna happen," the neighbor said.