LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) – At 11 o’clock Wednesday night, Lafayette Police responded to a shooting on the 900 block of East Simcoe Street. Two men, ages 30 and 34 were found with gunshot wounds. Both were brought to a local hospital.

Phil Lindon has owned and operated several businesses on Simcoe for nearly three decades. He says violence in the city is at an all-time high.

“I have never seen gun violence at the peak that it is now”, Lindon said.

The second shooting happened two hours later about two miles from the first crime scene.

This time, the victims were 17 and 18-year-olds.

Police say the shootings are not related but Lindon believes these two shootings, although not connected, stem from previous issues involving the victims.

Lindon says, “It’s retaliation. I think today’s youth are not even thinking about consequences before they do it.”

It’s that same thought of retaliation that strikes fear in some residents.

“A lot of people, they are scared in the neighborhood. They don’t want to say anything thinking what would happen to them”, said Lafayette resident Johnathan Dugas.

Lindon says it’s going to take much more than the hard work of law enforcement; the people within the community will have to step up as well.

“We really have to bind together as a community if we want to stop this. Not just on Simcoe but it’s happening all over the parish”, Lindon said.