In a matter of one day’s time, crime in the city ratcheted up to a level that’s bound to make many residents uncomfortable.

As we first reported Monday afternoon, police initially investigated a report of shots fired on East Independence Street. At the time, police said someone had reported shots being fired into or at a house.

A short time later, the department arrived at King’s Daughters because a shooting victim had been brought in. The 26-year-old victim was pronounced dead at the hospital. The shooting is alleged to have taken place on Walnut Street.

Another man was shot at his residence on North Egypt Circle sometime before 2:30 p.m. That victim was hit in the leg but survived.

At press time, police were looking for a suspect in both shootings — Cordarryl Bell, 24, of 510 East Congress St.

Authorities are also investigating a possible connection between a house fire that occurred on East Independence Street Monday and the fatal shooting.

At about 2:30 Monday, a 16-year-old allegedly robbed someone in the Wendy’s parking lot at gunpoint. The suspect was arrested after he fled through the nearby woods. Officers were able to recover the stolen money.

Those events are shocking, both in their level of violence and brazenness. A daylight armed robbery at a busy restaurant on Brookway Boulevard is troubling. Obviously, the city’s seventh murder of the year is disturbing as well.

Police can’t be everywhere at once, and they rely heavily on support from the community to solve crimes. Police Chief Bobby Bell lamented that crimes like these are made worse when people withhold information from police.

“Situations like this we have no control over, and at the same time we’re dealing with a community that will not — that is letting thugs dictate to where the attitude is: ‘We wont say anything about what we see, won’t let the law enforcement know what’s going on before they get out of hand,’” he said.

If Bell is right, Brookhaven is in trouble. The public must be willing to talk to police — before a crime occurs and after. If you see something or hear something that leads you to think a crime is imminent, call police. If you have information about a crime or the location of a suspect, call police.