LA HABRA : Gunshots Won’t Intimidate Her, Councilwoman Says

Speaking publicly for the first time since her home was shot at for the ninth time, Councilwoman Dorothy May Rush said Monday that the shooting only fueled her desire to stand up against gang violence in La Habra.

“I will not believe that our fine city is so intimidated by some undesirables living here that a council member cannot say what they believe in,” Rush said at Monday night’s City Council meeting. “I was not elected to sit back in fear, but rather to stand up for what I believe in. I based my campaign on the ‘fight the blight’ message and will continue to work toward a better, safer La Habra.”

Rush’s home was struck by gunfire March 19 in a shooting police believe to be gang-related. Police said several shots were fired through a window and into the walls of Rush’s Grace Avenue home.

In September, a Molotov cocktail crashed through her bedroom window. Several drive-by shootings also have targeted Rush’s home since March, 1992, when she organized a Neighborhood Watch program.

“Regarding our most recent incident, we chose not to speak to the media immediately following because we were busy dealing with the situation and also did not want to turn the shooting into a circus for the person or persons involved,” Rush said of herself and her husband, Larry. “I am confident that the actions (and) lifestyles of these persons will eventually catch up with them.”

She praised the police for stepping up patrols in her neighborhood and thanked those who have sent her letters of support in the last month.

Several residents asked the City Council to offer a reward for the capture and conviction of the shooters, but officials said police want to finish their investigation before making such an offer.