WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — The Winston-Salem police chief is calling for the community to step up after investigators determined three recent shootings, which left two dead, were connected.

“We would work around the clock and leave no stone unturned, but we cannot do it alone,” Chief Catrina Thompson said at a Friday news conference.

Over the course of three shootings, two lives were lost, at least 16 firearms were used and at least 140 shots were fired.

Detectives believe some of the same people were involved in these incidents.

Thompson described the shootings as “ongoing disputes” between the people involved with a willingness to harm any bystanders.

Few witnesses and victims have been willing to cooperate, and the police are now asking witnesses and victims to help put a stop to the violence by coming forward and providing first-hand eyewitness accounts.

At about 1:37 a.m. April 7, police received multiple reports of a shooting outside a bar on North Cherry Street.

More than 100 people were in a “chaotic scene.”

As officers arrived, they found multiple people hurt and received reports of people arriving at the hospital with injuries.

Seven people were shot, about a dozen spent shell casings were found at the scene and at least three firearms were used.

Police found two of the guns and charged one person with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

All the victims survived.

Then, days later, at 7:53 p.m. on April 13, officers responded to the 2400 block after reports of gunshots at a children’s birthday party at a city park.

They found more than 50 spent shell casings and determined at least five different guns were used at the scene.

Through the investigation, detectives found two firearms and are still looking for one person on an outstanding arrest warrant.

No injuries were reported.

At 10:57 p.m. on May 18, police responded to reports that multiple people had been shot at a cook out at 4252 Cody Drive.

At they scene, they found a “large chaotic crowd” of more than 100 people.

At least six people were shot, and 23-year-old Jalen Chavon Cockerham died at the scene and 26-year-old Fred Douglass Hopkins III died of his injuries less than 72 hours later.

Police found more than 80 spent shell casings and determined at least eight guns were used in the shooting.

Officers have seized five guns and made one arrest for possession of firearms by a convicted felon.