DOVER, Del. --- A pair of shootings over the weekend in Dover left two injured and continued a recent spike in gun violence that began last month.
Dover police said a man was injured after an argument escalated into a gunfight at Janaid's Salon for Men on Saturday afternoon.
A city police spokesman said there were roughly 20 people at the scene, but none could identify the gunman who shot someone in the shoulder.
A second shooting occurred as someone was leaving Allure Nightclub in Dover early Sunday morning, according to police. No arrests have been announced in either incident.
James Brooks of Dover said the shootings were especially concerning because they took place at businesses where people were congregated, with one of them happening right along the Loockerman Street corridor.
"That's just not right," he said.
Rev. Rita Mishoe Paige with the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Dover said the recent uptick in shootings, including multiple incidents at the Manchester Square public housing community, comes at a time when children are leaving school for the summer.
"We need to be concerned for our children because we have shootings where they could be innocent bystanders," she said.
Dover Mayor Robin Christiansen last week said city police are continuing to increase efforts to patrol areas where gun crimes have recently been taking place.
But Christiansen also noted police need the cooperation of witnesses in identifying suspects --- even though many people who witness those crimes may be worried about retaliation by criminals.
"I can understand their fear," he said. "But the bigger fear is having these people behind these shootings still on the street."