Some Seattle residents fed up with gun violence; some want cameras in the hot spots

SEATTLE -- “Oh it was so frightening.  My neighbor actually emailed me and said that my house and his house got hit by bullets,” says one Seattle man.

He and his wife say they were shaken to their core when their home was hit by stray bullets in February.

“We were out to dinner in downtown Seattle. The dog was at home.  Pretty frightening.  We didn't know what we were going to come home to,” he says.

Thursday afternoon they joined dozens of neighbors who say they know that same fear, marching against violence side by side with Seattle police and community leaders.

Earlier in the day people voiced their concerns at this community meeting.

Seattle police say the Central District and South Seattle are the two main hot spots for an increased number of shootings this year.  Community leaders are now so fed up, they're talking about installing surveillance cameras to watch over crime hot spots.

“I want to use cameras. What I've seen in NYC and other places, they actually do deter crimes. They actually do make a difference,” says Mayor Murray.

But its a controversial idea for many in Seattle.

The ACLU told Q13 FOX News that they're concerned about the lack of data proving cameras prevent crime. Their fear is that they could infringe on people's privacy.

“We obviously don't want to hinder people’s privacy, but I do think there are places around the country that have shown that this type of technology can make a difference,” says Murray.

For people marching Thursday, especially those just starting their lives in Seattle, they're hoping that difference will start showing one step at a time.

Murray says the surveillance cameras require more research, but they’re definitely an option to be considered.

“This really hit me to the core of my soul,” Pamela Banks said.

Although deadly shootings are down this year, gun violence is up.

“Our children’s lives are at stake we have got to stop this violence,” Banks said.

“I was staying there for 10 seconds and I just felt an explosion in my face,” shooting victim Bao Vinh Pham said.

Someone shot Pham in the face as he sat waiting at an intersection on Martin Luther King Junior Way.

Pham believes he was not the intended target.

“This is not a shooting zone anymore,” Harriet Walden said.

“Support some type of camera system with a sunset date I get people's privacy but our lives are at stake,” Banks said.

Police Chief Kathleen O’ Toole says the city is seriously considering cameras.

“Sooner rather than later we just have to determine if we want to do this or not,” O’Toole said.