Hollywood Walk of Fame shootings raise safety concerns
LOS ANGELES - Shootings along the Hollywood Walk of Fame are causing some people to question safety in the area.
Gregg Donovan, known as "The Hollywood Ambassador," has some concerns as he works the area daily.
"The Walk of Fame, I hear the walk of shame. People think it's glamorous and it's not the same anymore," said Donovan.
Donovan is citing recent crime in the Hollywood area.
On Sunday at around 1 a.m., LAPD Hollywood officers told FOX 11 gunfire erupted from the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Wilcox Avenue, outside the 7-Eleven store. According to police, a car drove up to the front of the store, six people got out of the car, and one person opened fire, wounding two people who were rushed to the hospital. Just ten days ago, a man was shot in the head on the Hollywood Walk of Fame near the Chinese Theater.
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"It's another world now. It's gone from heaven to hell," Donovan said. "There used to be a police presence out here, horseback, bicycle patrol, they're not here anymore. These shootings in the last week have me looking behind my shoulder."
Donovan said he has been assaulted too.
"I've been assaulted four times last year, and I was just verbally assaulted last week," he said.
Donovan wants to see more safety measures enacted at the Hollywood Walk of Fame to ensure tourists are safe in the area.
A man who has a kiosk on the Walk of Fame to sell hats told FOX 11 Monday that people steal from his kiosk daily.
A few tourists described the Walk of Fame as "seedy" on Monday, but other tourists visiting the area on Monday said they felt safe.
"It was a last minute trip and it has been a blast. We're from a small town and this is a huge city and we have felt nothing but welcoming hugs, welcoming greetings, faces, and good times. I don't want to go back home," said Marissa.
"I think it's all right. It's a good vibe. I was in New York City over Christmas. It can kind of compare, the craziness and the wildness, things to do, the lights all that. I'll have to come back around Christmas time and tell you how I feel," said Blake, visiting from Pittsburg.
The LAPD is investigating both shootings.