PEABODY, MASS. (WHDH) - Residents are on edge after several people say someone shot arrows at their homes in Peabody and Salem.
A home on Gardner Street in Peabody was struck by an arrow on Tuesday morning, leaving a hole in the front door, according to the Peabody Police Department.
The homeowner said they went outside at 9:30 a.m. and didn’t see anything unusual, but then noticed an arrow in the front door when they returned around 12:20 p.m.
“It set off some alarms with us, it’s like ‘What’s going on,’ ” said neighbor Steve Ferrante.
This comes as the neighboring Salem Police Department investigates five residences on four streets that were also hit by arrows.
Darren Rustin says a neighbor told him someone had shot an arrow at his door on Leavitt Street.
“I came out and noticed that and was like where did this come from,” he said. “I wasn’t sure how it started, who did it, and then she told me later on that it was someone who shot an arrow either from this cross street or some other direction and we were just one of five residents that got shot arrows at.”
Salem police say they responded to several similar incidents over the past week.
The door of Pam Kently’s neighbor got hit with three arrows on Ocean Avenue.
“It’s distressing,” she said. “We are a very quiet neighborhood, a very friendly neighborhood, lots of dogs and kids and families and because we are so close to the water, we have a lot of people walking down here all the time.”
The arrows left minor damage and no injuries were reported.
“We don’t know why they are doing it, Rustin said. “We don’t know whether it’s kids or adults with a political angle, we have no idea.”
Police have not said whether they believe the cases in Peabody and Salem are related, though neighbors say it isn’t a coincidence.
“Well, this is the roadway to Salem,” Ferrante said. “This is Route 114, follow the map and it takes you right to Salem, so I think it’s no coincidence that if it affected Salem, it’d impact this street as well.”
Anyone who may have experienced a similar incident and have not reported the matter is asked to call police.
This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS for updates online and on-air.
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