ROANOKE, Va. – Gun violence continues to be top of mind for people in the city of Roanoke.
Most recently, a deadly shooting on Melrose Avenue took the life of two people.
Santerrius Robertson reached out to 10 News and told us her cousin, Rodrel Mathis, known as Mann by many, was one of the victims in Sunday’s shooting.
“It was a tragedy. Just a tragedy for my family. It really is,” she said.
Robertson said Mathis was a father of four who is originally from Mississippi, but moved to Roanoke about five years ago.
The family is hoping the man who is responsible for Mathis’ murder will be held accountable.
“Just to the police, fight for us. Just fight for us. Find this man and you know he needs to pay for what he’s done to my family and the other victims’ families as well,” said Robertson.
Mathis’ family has set up a GoFundMe page to help support the costs of bringing his body home to Mississippi so he can be buried with his father.
Another person recently impacted by gun violence in the city, Rose Hooker.
Hooker has lived on Hunt Avenue NW for over 20 years.
Just within the last three months, her car has been riddled with bullet holes from two separate shootings.
“The front window and the bullet holes and I had a flat tire,” explained Hooker while showing us the damage to her car.
“And then the second shooting did that and this right here. All those bullet holes right there. You’ve got a bullet hole right here and the other one is right there,” she explained.
Hooker is now left without a way to get around.
“I need my car. I need to get my medicine, back and forth to the doctor. Like I said, I have no family, it’s just me,” she said.
Hooker said she’s seen a change in her neighborhood with the increase in gun violence over the recent years.
“I’m in the house before dark. I don’t leave my house unless I have to. I love being in the house, but not like this. Not scared to come out. I mean it can happen in the daytime, but I’m like this is ridiculous,” she said.
Hooker only has liability insurance on her car and is on a fixed income.
At this time, she is not able to afford the cost of getting her car repaired.