DANVILLE, Va. – Danville Police are connecting neighbors of the Woodside Village Apartments with resources following a deadly shooting on Monday morning that left one man dead and two others hurt.
Danville Police stopped by the neighborhood where it happened later in the day to conduct a H.E.A.R.T. walk. H.E.A.R.T. stands for ‘Healing and Engagement After Recent Trauma.’
During their walk, they talked with neighbors about how they were feeling. Matt Bell, the Public Relation Specialist for Danville Police, said it’s not about learning details of the incident.
“H.E.A.R.T. walk is not for information gathering. That was last night. This is an opportunity for us to allow residents to be able to heal and be able to get the help that they need,” Bell said.
Living next to or near a place where something tragic happened can be challenging for some people. H.E.A.R.T. walks help connect these people with resources available.
“By meeting people in the community … meeting people where they are, we’re taking the resources to them. It shows that we’re out and about, that we’re available, and that we want to be an interactive part of this community,” Bell said.
Police are not the only ones on the walks. They’re often joined by members of Fire and EMS along with other community organizations. Mothers Stronger TWOgether has made sure to be at any H.E.A.R.T. walk conducted.
Jean Jackson with the group said that over the years, the walks have built trust between neighbors and the police.
“The H.E.A.R.T. walk has made a big difference. They’re being trusted more, even the police department. When nobody did, they do now. They talk more, they can tell people about their problems,” Jackson said.
One group it has impacted in particular is the children. During Monday’s H.E.A.R.T. walk, a group of kids was tossing around a football with police, and they even got to check out the inside of a police vehicle.
“Them being out here among the children is getting them to trust them. They love them. Anywhere you go now, they don’t run from them they run toward them because they know help is on the way,” Jackson said.
As far as the incident goes, there are several persons of interest, according to police.
Anyone who has information about the shooting is asked to please contact the Danville Police Department by either calling patrol at 434-799-6510 option 4, investigations at 434-799-6508 option 1, and option 1 again, calling 911, contacting Crime Stoppers at 434-793-0000, approach any officer you see, through social media, via email, or use the crime tips app CARE.