EVERETT, Wash. -- Gun violence is on the rise across the Puget Sound region, and deputies say it is happening more and more in Snohomish County.



"It was quiet around here. It was really quiet around here,” said Albert Jordan, who lives in Everett near 128th Street Southwest.



Jordan said he and his wife, Beverly, have both noticed changes around their neighborhood, and they told Q13 News it’s not for the better.



"We were just walking here from the store, and a car cruised down the street,” said Jordan. “All of a sudden, pow, pow, pow, pow!”









The couple said in the past four years they've lived in Everett, they've heard of more shootings and gang-related activity happening nearby, especially around 128th Street Southwest and 8th Avenue West.



"Over the last weekend, we had a deputy who responded to two drive-by shootings in a matter of hours off of 128th,” said Shari Ireton, with the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office.



According to the sheriff’s office, gun violence is up in areas like Everett and Lynnwood.



Since 2015, Ireton said, there have been at least 40 drive-by shootings in south Snohomish County, and she believes the majority of those are gang-related.



We’re also told the recent uptick in crime may have to do with the retaliation between rival gangs that dates back a couple of years.



“Because they're just spraying the side of houses, or spraying vehicles as they're going by, we're really concerned more people are going to get hurt, innocent bystanders are going to get hurt and killed,” said Ireton.



The recent violence is a problem with no easy fix, Ireton said.



“The problem with gang violence is it’s complicated,” said Ireton.



Jordan said because he’s grown in around the rough parts of town, he knows it's going to take much more than local law enforcement for things to get better.



"Let's not worry about what's outside of our community, and start trying to take care of our community,” said Jordan



Right now, sheriff’s deputies are working with other agencies around the clock to identify gang members in the area and hopefully reduce the crime rate that’s happening at all hours of the day.



