Neighbors react to deadly shooting in South Bend

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SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Shots fired on the South East side of South Bend left one teen dead and another injured.

Saturday night the investigation continues into another deadly shooting in South Bend.

16-year-old Curtis Frazier Jr. of South Bend went to Riley. He was pronounced dead on the scene on Sampson Street.

The second victim is recovering, 18-year-old Makyi Toliver was sent to the hospital and is in stable condition.

Curtis Cathey was in his home when it happened late Friday night.

“I saw some people hit the car and they fell back. My wife was going to run outside, I said ‘no,’ shut the door. Right before I shut the door, I heard shots,” Cathey said.

It was a shock.

“No bullets came in the house which is a blessing but other than that, I had to run and check them and got scared, then I started crying,” he said.

“I heard it and then I kind of ignored it cause it doesn’t normally happen in the neighborhood,” Ponze Hampton, a neighbor said.

According to the South Bend Data Hub, only one shooting has happened in this area from 2015 to 2018.

Hampton moved to the area years ago because it was quiet and felt safe, now she’s worried.

“It was kind of disturbing cause I have kids,” Hampton said.

She said this is just a reality now.

“They’re not safe on the bus. They’re not safe at school. They’re not safe at the grocery store anymore,” she said.

And without safe spaces,  “they’re having nowhere to go and when they have no one to talk to because we’re too busy having to work and do our own thing; it leaves them out in the open for harm,” she said.

As for a solution, both say it’s up to the parents.

“They need father figures in their life or their actual fathers. Cause these kids have daddies but the daddies out there like the kids,” Cathey said.

Hampton agrees.

“It actually has to start at home. You raise them up how they are supposed to be and you pray that it goes and it follows them along wherever they’re going,” she said.

No suspects are in custody at this time.

An autopsy for Frazier is scheduled for Monday in Fort Wayne.

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