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Charlottesville man injured in Cherry Avenue shooting

At Cherry Avenue's GoCo gas station yesterday morning, Bernard Williams, 22, was shot multiple times by a single gunman, police said.

Williams was taken to the University Medical Center where he underwent surgery. By Sunday evening he was reported in stable condition.

Police declined to comment on case specifics, but said the shooting occurred at about 11:30 yesterday morning on the corner of Cherry Avenue and 9th Street, south of Jefferson Park Avenue.

Police detectives have identified a suspect but have not issued a warrant for his or her arrest yet.

A GoCo employee yesterday was reluctant to comment on the incident but did say there was no damage to the service station.

Charlottesville Police Sgt. Richard Hudson would not comment on the circumstances surrounding the shooting but did say he found no evidence linking it to previous shootings on nearby Prospect Avenue.

Charlottesville resident Benjamin Willis was killed in an Aug. 29 incident near the Blue Ridge Commons apartment complex on Prospect Avenue.

Willis was approached while talking to a group of people outside the building and was shot by an unidentified man.

That shooting was the third in three days in the Prospect Avenue area.

City Council member David Toscano said the biggest hurdle local police face is an influx of weapons from outside the area.

"In a way, this is not a surprise because in America we live in such a gun culture. We have been somewhat immune to it in Charlottesville but it is very difficult to eliminate. The police are trying to get a handle on it," he said.

Charlottesville's crime rate has actually decreased over the past few years, Toscano said.

"I hope that people will not conclude that Charlottesville is not a safe place to live based on these past few incidents," he added.

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