2 hurt, car owned by mayor damaged in shooting

A window on a Nissan Altima registered to Mayor Ivy Taylor was shot during a drive-by on North New Braunfels Avenue. Taylor is known to drive a different car. A window on a Nissan Altima registered to Mayor Ivy Taylor was shot during a drive-by on North New Braunfels Avenue. Taylor is known to drive a different car. Photo: Mark D. Wilson / San Antonio Express-News Photo: Mark D. Wilson / San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 24 Caption Close 2 hurt, car owned by mayor damaged in shooting 1 / 24 Back to Gallery

SAN ANTONIO — Two men were wounded Monday afternoon during a drive-by shooting on the East Side that also resulted in damage to a vehicle owned by Mayor Ivy Taylor

Sgt. Javier Salazar, a Police Department spokesman, said a group was walking along the 700 block of North New Braunfels Avenue when a car began to chase them. Someone in the car opened fire on the group, striking one of the men in the leg and another in the abdomen, Salazar said.

Both men, described as in their late teens or early 20s, suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to authorities.

A rear window of a gold 2005 Nissan Altima parked in the area was shattered. The vehicle, which records show is registered to Taylor, appeared to also have a bullet hole on a side panel.

The mayor remained downtown near City Hall on Monday and was not near the shooting when it occurred. She is known to drive a Ford Thunderbird, while her husband drives the couple's Nissan.

“During the course of this afternoon's shooting, a vehicle belonging to Mayor Taylor and a building associated with her were hit by gunfire, but nobody in the building was hit,” Salazar confirmed in a statement issued by the Police Department. “The two victims who were shot are not associated with the mayor, and there is no information or reason to believe that Mayor Taylor, her family, her business or personal property were the intended targets of the shooting.”

The mayor released a statement late Monday, saying she was “grateful that no one suffered life-threatening injuries and (has) been reassured by SAPD that this shooting has nothing to do with me or my husband, and that our car and property weren't targeted.”

“Anyone at any time can be touched by crime. Neither title, privilege nor office make one immune. But that doesn't mean it's acceptable. It's unacceptable for gunfire to be sprayed from a car in the middle of the afternoon or any day at any time of the day or night,” the statement read.

Taylor emphasized in the statement that “we must continue to make the investments in people and neighborhoods that will change hearts and behavior to prevent these types of shootings. Our Eastside efforts continue to hold promise, but today's incident highlights the challenges, especially for many young inner-city men. In the coming weeks and months, I will be working with community members on these challenges through the 'My Brother's Keeper' initiative,” referring to a program initiated by President Barack Obama for boys and young men in minority communities.

Records indicate that a building on the same block is owned by Marshall Sidberry Ventures. Rodney Taylor, the mayor's husband, is its registered agent and treasurer, and Ivy Taylor is listed as its vice president.

Police closed an entire block of North New Braunfels Avenue as they investigated the shooting Monday afternoon. One of the victims was found by police on the road. The other was found nearby on Gulf Street.

mdwilson@express-news.net

News Researcher Mike Knoop and Staff Writers Josh Baugh and Elizabeth Zavala contributed to this report.