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HOUSTON (FOX 26) - Everywhere. Bullet holes are everywhere at this Sunnyside gas station. One bullet went through the metal shutter, the window, a wall, and into an employee's chest. Another one slammed into Devon Collins' face. His grandfather says he's lucky it missed his eye.
"Right now they pulled out the tube out of his nose and he's in a lot of pain. But thank God he's doing better and he's gonna be all right," said Pastor James Nash.
Another bullet hit and wounded a young man with Collins. The shooters got away.
Police Chief Art Acevedo unveiled the city's strategy for the upcoming year at the annual March on Crime event. He says they've reduced violent crime in the city, particularly the murder rate, for the second year running. Last year, it dropped 11 percent.
"So far this year, just so everyone knows because I know that's going to come up, we are as of today down 16 percent. Now remember that's a fluid number, it goes up and down. But it's not about percentages, it's about really lives," Chief Acevedo told reporters.
The department is tweaking its strategy. It's working with the DA's office to enact bond reform so potentially violent criminals don't get low bonds. The department will now send four, not two, detectives to homicides, and it's working on a zero tolerance for domestic violence. If police respond to a call, someone is going to jail.
Back to the Texaco shooting in Sunnyside, there is security camera footage, but it's not always enough. Police know solving crimes like this can require cooperation from victims and witnesses. Collins' grandfather knows this all too well too. He's with Houston Ministers Against Crime, and this time it's also personal.
"Don't let them hide in the community. You leave them to live another day not locked down to hurt somebody else..." he said.