A South Berkeley shooting early Sunday morning that left two girls wounded and their house riddled with bullets has led local residents to express concern about safety in their neighborhood.

Two girls, aged 3 and 6, were injured in the shooting on the 1500 block of Oregon Street and treated at a local hospital, according to Berkeley police Sgt. Mary Kusmiss.

A woman who lives nearby and requested to remain anonymous out of fear of retribution said the shooting made a "crackling sound" like "grease in a skillet."

"I wasn't surprised at all," she said. "Every two weeks there's some belligerent exchange going on ... I just hope that the city would do something."

But she added that she feels safe

despite the shooting because it appeared to have targeted the particular house and most residents of the neighborhood seem friendly.

"I'm in my house minding my business. I don't fraternize with anybody ... that's how I keep safe," she said. "I have some fears, but I don't feel like there's any place to run to."

She said she saw the girls in the neighborhood frequently.

"I pray to God there are no more drive-bys and hope the girls are okay," she said. "They (are) so beautiful and so cute."

Louis Greer, who owns Greer's Jewelry, which is located near the intersection of Sacramento Street and Ashby Avenue three blocks from the scene of the shooting, said the degree of violence in the area has remained steady.

"Things have been a little quiet so far in this area," Greer said, adding that he has owned and worked at the small shop for 53 years.

Greer pointed to bullet holes in his store and said he was held up and shot in 1971. But despite Sunday's incident, he said shootings remain "not too common" and occur about once or twice a year.

Kusmiss said although further information about the shooting couldn't be released pending an ongoing investigation, police are recognizing and

responding to incidents.

"BPD is consistently doing much work behind the scenes related to a number of significant cases of violence, including the 1500 block of Oregon Street investigation," Kusmiss said in an e-mail.

Laura Menard, chair of the Russell, Oregon and California Neighborhood Association, said she is holding a community meeting Thursday at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center at 1730 Oregon Street at 7 p.m to address concerns.

No arrests have been made and no suspects have been identified in connection with the incident, Kusmiss said.

Anyone who may have information regarding the shooting is urged to call BPD Homicide Detail at (510) 981-5741 or (510) 981-5900. If callers wish to remain anonymous, they are asked to call the Bay Area Crime Stoppers Tip Line (BACS) at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Tags: BERKELEY POLICE DEPARTMENT