Police say recent shootings just blocks away from Allianz Field pose no threat to soccer fans or others who attend big events in St. Paul, but residents of the neighborhood hope the problem is addressed before concerns grow louder.
During the day, it's easy to pass through the busy intersection of Hamline and University in St. Paul and not notice the BP gas station on the corner, but at night it's been hard to miss.
"We lay in our beds at night and hear gunshots. This is like the third shooting in the last few weeks," said Toni Murchison, who lives across the street. "We want to feel safe again."
St. Paul police say the most recent shooting happened just after 4 a.m., Tuesday. A 22-year-old man was shot in the neck and remains in critical condition with life threatening injuries.
"I'm very concerned that some innocent resident is going to get hit by a stray bullet," said Julie Buys, who lives in the neighborhood. "It seems like it's escalating and getting worse and worse and more frequent. So I know we have to do something about it."
St. Paul police say they are listening and trying to bolster security in that area.
"The BP lot, in general, has been a concern for us," said Sgt. Mike Ernster. "We've heard from many neighbors and we've started to focus our efforts on that lot. Especially late night."
While they work to address the crime, Ernster says soccer fans and others who attend events at Allianz Field nearby, should know the crime is isolated to late night and early morning hours and has been unrelated to big events, which feature a large security presence.
"We take on a very large footprint of security for (events)," Sgt. Ernster said. "It is the largest police presence in the city of St. Paul for a special event."
Neighbors would just like to see that security expand before the threat of crime does.
"Want people to feel safe when they come here to go to those games," Murchison said. "Because you have people coming from all around the world, because soccer is a big thing."
Despite the recent shootings at the BP station, police say shootings are not increasing across the neighborhood or the city. Ernster says shootings have dropped by 20 percent since this time last year.