ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A lot of people are questioning their safety in Rochester’s Monroe Avenue neighborhood after a security guard was shot early Thursday morning outside the popular J.D. Oxford’s bar there. It’s not the first time for gun violence in the area.

“It is disappointing to continue to see this level of crime on Monroe Ave. I think our city as a whole is experiencing a lot of influx in this,” said Marina Nothnagle, president of the Monroe Avenue Merchants Association and owner of Nine Spot Brewing.

Despite three people being found shot on Monroe Avenue since July, Nothnagle feels hopeful for the future of her block.

“It definitely damages the reputation of Monroe. But I do believe that we have a very strong community that hopefully we can work to prevent some of these things in the future,” Nothnagle said.

Nothnagle recently moved her business from Monroe Avenue to Geva Theatre, something she says wasn’t due to crime, but instead a desire to expand their business.

“Safety wasn’t a huge concern for us. … Our heart is still very much on Monroe Avenue. And, you know, we partner with the theater to allow us to work more efficiently as a company, but also to bring food and beverage to Geva,” said Nothnagle.

Nothnagle says she hopes to bring neighborhoods together with the move.

“And in a way we are bridging the neighboring communities to Monroe, and I’m still going to continue as the president of the Merchants Association, and I’m very committed to that area. But another important focus for us as a group is bridging the neighborhoods as well as that’s around Monroe Avenue,” Nothnagle said.

News10NBC’s Tom Kowalski tried to find other people who live and work in the area to speak about this issue, but they declined to go on camera.

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