COLUMBIA (WACH) - One of the Columbia's popular hospitality and entertainment districts continues to see a string of violence.
Early Sunday morning in the heart of Five Points, police say someone opened fire at the Exxon on Harden Street after a fight in front of a bar.
"It's on my mind but it's not at the forefront. I mean obviously there's got to be concerns," said Tom Fore, who owns Concocktions in Five Points.
He says most nights are quiet until the clock strikes 10 p.m. After that, he says things get wild.
While he sees the rise in violence as a sign of the times, Fore is concerned about what the future will bring.
"It's a tougher society that we live in now. I have a daughter, a 6-year-old daughter. It scares me really bad and worries me a lot for the future," adds Fore.
Last September, police chief Randy Scott announced plans to address the violence in Five Points.
Over the past few years, Five Points developed a bad reputation after a string of crimes including the high-profile beatings of Columbia teen Carter Strange and Midlands Tech student Josh Bosworth.
Both men were left beaten, bloodied and hospitalized. Since then, city officials have instituted a youth curfew and committed more police officers to the area.
"The criminal and the bad boys are out to cause trouble and you know, criminals don't sleep," said councilman Moe Baddourah
Councilman Baddourah says he would like to see more money for the police department, so there will be more boots on the streets to help curb crime.
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