In the wake of a recent fatal stabbing on North Spring Street, downtown residents and workers say they are not fazed by the homicide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
On March 13th, Winston-Salem police responded to a morning call at 10:41 to a reported stabbing at N. 500 Spring Street across from the Forsyth County Public Library and the upscale restaurant, Spring House. The victim, James Roseborough aged 32, was found in a parking lot, rushed to the hospital and eventually died due to his injuries, according to police. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While this is believed by the police to be an isolated incident, it is the 11th homicide the city has seen this year. Kira Boyd, Public Information Officer with the Winston-Salem Police Department, said,\u00a0 \u201cTypically when we say it’s an isolated incident, the people know each other and we pretty much know who did it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you drive past N. Spring Street, it is impossible not to notice the vagrants residing in the empty parking lots behind the gas station or across from the library. It was in one of these, the City Dwellings lot, that Mr. Roseborough was found, said Sergeant Kevin Bowers of the police department\u2019s downtown bike patrol.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kenneth Pettigrew, a security guard at the public library, said he was not worried by the stabbing.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s not expected, but we have a large homeless population down here and sometimes they have disputes that get settled the wrong way,\u201d said Pettigrew. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This particular area is known to have a large homeless presence, both Bowers and Pettigrew said, as many of the people are seen sitting and sleeping in the empty parking lots behind the gas station and 4 Brothers Food Store on Fifth street, as well as across the street from Forsyth County Public Library. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Downtown residents said they took comfort in the knowledge this was an isolated incident. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI completely believe this was an isolated incident, a conflict between two individuals, and is not indicative of the safety of the neighborhood. Just a sad, unfortunate event,\u201d said Barbra Dendry, a resident who lives only half a block away from the parking lot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another downtown resident, Lisa Sykes, who lives a block away from where the stabbing said, \u201cI don\u2019t feel any less safe than I did before the incident, nor did I feel unsafe before. Violent crimes happen throughout the city.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pettigrew agreed. \u201dWe live in a big city and things happen,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s yesterday\u2019s news.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The stabbing was the 11th homicide so far this year, an increase since the same time period in 2021 when the city reported seven homicides, and 2020, when two homicides were reported in the first two months of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Downtown residents did question the safety of walking around this area alone or at night. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sykes said: \u201cThose of us who live downtown value being in a walkable neighborhood so I can see where it might impact some residents’ lifestyle. As a woman, I don\u2019t walk anywhere in the city after dark by myself, but I still would not hesitate to walk in the Spring Street area with a companion after dark.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is also an issue that the library is addressing. \u201cWe do talk about making sure to walk people back to the parking lot if they request it but that\u2019s about it,\u201d said Pettigrew. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Boyd said that downtown residents should not be afraid. \u201cAll of our homicides this year, they’ve all involved people who know each other,\u201d she said. \u201cThere\u2019s no concern for the general public. Winston is still a safe place.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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