Gunfire at two north Port Arthur sites Friday night was unsettling, especially in that it broke out short hours after a police-involved shooting in the western reaches of the city. That’s too much violence in a community that has experienced too much violence in 2018.

There was enough unease in Port Arthur on Friday that the overnight police shift was called in early to help, and the Sheriff’s Office provided back-up, as well.

A 6:58 p.m. call about shots fired in the parking lot of the Legacy Senior Apartments, 3225 Lake Arthur Drive, provided an unlikely spot for a gun battle. Is nowhere safe?

There, multiple suspects had attempted to rob an elderly man who was carrying a gun and fired back in the senior complex’s parking lot. The octogenarian sustained a bullet wound in the upper chest, but was expected to be OK.

Some 30 minutes later, shots were fired near Kentucky Fried Chicken on Highway 365, a typically crowded scene on a Friday night. Two men were wounded, though their wounds were not life threatening, and multiple gunshots were traded. Police would not rule out gang activity.

It’s dangerous enough when people willfully attack others with guns. But typically, those doing the shooting are not accomplished marksmen; when they fire their weapons, everyone in the vicinity is at risk. And those doing the shooting don’t care.

Of particular concern, police said, is that solving such crimes is difficult, especially when even victims and bystanders are reluctant to talk. Some people are hesitant to get involved, fearing additional danger to themselves. Others may believe the harm or potential harm is limited to those who are trading gunfire — so who cares? Nothing could be further from the truth.

People who pack handguns and stand ready to use them at the first provocation are usually gun amateurs; they can load a gun and maybe aim it. But when untrained gunmen open fire, everyone in the area is in danger — mostly innocent bystanders and witnesses.

Their willingness to shoot others — risking their lives and yours — doesn’t mean they have the acquired skill or judgment to use a weapon. Witness would do well to help police as much as they can to sweep irresponsible gunmen off the street — for their safety and the safety of their families.

Witnesses can help with a simple phone call from the privacy of their own homes or by sharing information with police through Crime Stoppers. They can remain anonymous.

People who fear retribution from illegal gunmen ought to fear this greater: The sure knowledge that by not helping the police, witnesses only help the gunmen, and keep them operating in their neighborhoods — or even at public restaurants.

That’s no good for anyone, themselves included.