Detectives say the criminals seem to be acting randomly, are very violent, and get away with very little. One witness to the latest robbery last night is still shaken up.

"I still fear for my friends as well as my own life," says "Mary," who wanted to keep her identity a secret.

She was standing on the front porch on Northeast 12th Court at 10:30 Monday night. She says a gray sedan with tinted windows pulled up, a muscular man jumped out of the back seat with two guns and demanded that Mary's three friends talking on the street get on the ground and hand over their money. Then she heard a shot.

"I thought he had shot one of them," says Mary. "I was so afraid, I just ran in the house."

Her friend called police--Mary is just glad the paramedics didn't have to be called as well.

Police say what Mary saw could be the same people who committed a trio of robberies within a two hour span over the weekend. In one robbery, one teen was pistol whipped and another was hit in the face and the gun went off.

Mary is just glad none of her friends were hurt.

"I hope and I pray that no one gets shot, that they don't kill anyone, " says Mary. "But i hope and pray that they do get caught."

Tuesday was the first day for the Tactical Impact Unit, a permanent name for what used to be called the Violent Crime Task Force. Lieutenant Keith Kameg says police are adjusting to what he calls a "new breed of criminal" with a violent but random nature and hopes to catch the robbers soon.

By Dan Breitwieser, WCJB TV20 News