PETERSBURG, Va. -- Residents of the Walnut Hill neighborhood in Petersburg described a terrifying scene early Sunday morning when they were abruptly woken up by several gunshots.
The gunshots were heard along Berkeley Avenue just before 2 a.m.
"I'm absolutely terrified" said one Berkeley Avenue homeowner who asked not to be identified.
"It went on waking everybody in the house up, everybody just kind of freaking out," said Ashley Brooks.
Another neighbor, who asked not to be identified, says he had to grab his wife to protect her as shots rang out.
"We heard two different volleys of gunfire. A first round of about seven shots, then a second follow up of about seven shots and some time between the two, I had to physically pull my wife out of the bed, abruptly, down to the floor, like immediately. It was that serious and close," he recalled.
"It was close to scary and terrifying because you know it's so close, that it's a probability a bullet could enter your house and kill you," he added.
A few blocks down Berkeley Avenue, another neighbor says she also heard at least seven shots early Sunday morning.
The mom, who also asked not to be identified, says she rushed to her daughter's bedroom.
"I heard gunshots outside of my house, so I run to the window, my daughter's window and look out," said the Petersburg mom. "It's scary."
Because of Sunday's shooting, changes have now been made in her daughter's bedroom.
"Her bed been moved to the very back of the room, so she's not so close to the window. She's towards the back, all because of the other night," the mom continued.
Many living on Berkeley Avenue say this Christmas, all they want is a silent night, because hearing gunshots has become almost a nightly occurrence.
"I hear them every single night, whether that be close to the house or you can hear them off in the distance. I can hear them coming through the baby monitor," said the mom.
Petersburg police say they are working to see if two other reports of gunfire in different parts of the city are connected to what happened in and around Berkeley Avenue Sunday morning.
Anyone with information about the shooting was asked to call Petersburg/Dinwiddie Crime Solvers at 804-861-1212.
