Members of the community are suggesting the recent surge of crime in Waco is oddly reminiscent to that of Killeen.

According to our news partners at KWTX, on Friday evening a shooting occurred at North 19th & Trice Ave. Waco PD has stated that at least one person was killed, and three others injured.

This recent shooting comes just after reports from 4 other shootings that all occurred in North Waco within 48 hours.

Within the Central Texas area, Killeen tends to be the butt of many jokes. Recently one study found Killeen to be in the Top 10 with Highest STD rates, and yet another placed Killeen on the Top 10 Most Dangerous Cities in Texas. These stories fueled jokes about the community and added to what many believe is a tarnished reputation for Killeen.

Although now after this spree of shootings, Wacoans are starting to worry. Commenters on KWTX's post about the most recent shooting are suggesting that Waco and Killeen have become eerily similar.

One commenter states, "We’ve become Killeen," another comment follows saying, "Nope, Waco aint got nothing on KILLCITY." Another person asks, "What is Waco becoming? We are the new Killeen. SMH," while someone else jokes, "Even Chip and Joanna can't fix Waco." 

While this new crime surge is alarming, I don't believe it is fair to act as if the city of Waco is vastly superior to that of Killeen. Being born and raised in Waco, I've heard the comparisons and jokes about the city of Killeen my entire life.

The thing is though, that Killeen is a wonderful city, with a beautiful community. People tend to forget that Killeen has also been ranked in the top 5 places to live in Texas and that Killeen was also named the most courageous city in Texas.

Bad things happen everywhere. It's about what we do to make our community better that matters. What are your thoughts? Is it fair to compare the two cities?

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