After bullets fly, worries on a Dorchester street

July 18, 2008 06:34 PM Email| Comments (0)| Text size – +

By John R. Ellement, Globe Staff

Cecil Wangoon was in his Dorchester store today, grateful that all he had to do was replace a plate glass window and the glass door to a refrigerator -- and wasn't mourning the murder of someone he knew.

"Bullets (were) flying at head level,'' he said. "That could have been my son. That could have been an employee. That could have been an customer. ... We're not in Iraq, but there's a war right here.''

The owner of Preferred Markets was reacting to the latest burst of gunfire to pour across Columbia Road and nearly kill people driving past, walking along the street, or working in the block of stores between Devon and Stanwood streets.

The block of stores -- a laundry, a liquor store, a barber shop, a pizza shop, a convenience store and Wangoon's store -- is the only commercial district between Uphams Corner and the intersection of Washington and Columbia Road.

"You do say your prayers every day when you go home,'' said Wangoon, who has run the Caribbean-influenced food store for the past 15 years.

According to Boston police, a minivan being driven down Columbia Road filled with children was struck by gunfire at around 8 p.m. Thursday, wounding the driver of the 1997 Dodge Caravan. The driver was taken to Boston Medical Center for treatment of a non-life-threatening injury.

In the pizza shop next to Wangoon's store, Jose M. Yanes was back at work just hours after one of the bullets entered a plate glass window and traveled through the store, slamming into the wall above the stove -- where the 25-year-old East Boston man was working.

He said he did not realize a bullet had traveled into the store until police pointed out the bullet hole in the wall. Yanes said he wants to work somewhere else, but will remain for the time working in his brother's pizza shop.

Two bullets entered Wangoon's store. One above the entry door -- the store was still open at the time -- and a second in the plate glass window next to the door. That bullet zipped through the store and smashed into a soda refrigerator.

Wangoon, who spent $700 having new glass installed in his store and the refrigerator, said police should install a camera on a traffic pole and assign the same officers to patrol the area every day.

Officers on bicycles were seen in the neighborhood late yesterday afternoon and department spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said police routinely spend a lot of time in the area.

She said the department will look into Wangon's suggestion of installing a camera on a traffic signal pole across Columbia Road from the block of stores.

No arrests were reported today.