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SAN DIEGO – San Diego police confirm the second shooting in just five days took place near the popular Belmont Park area in Mission Beach Thursday evening.

On Friday, police confirmed it happened just before 9:00 p.m. somewhere in the area between the boardwalk and Belmont Park. Officers arrested three people and say a gun was recovered.

“Surprised, but not very shocked because it’s not uncommon here at Belmont for some reason, it’s just gotten out of hand,” said Zayra De La Parra, account manager for Fit Athletic Club in Mission Beach.

With the recent heatwave bringing summer-like crowds, local businesses are reeling from two shootings in one week.

“This area has taken a turn for more of a family environment, so when something does happen drastically like a sporadic shooting in the parking lot, it really raises a lot of concerns and people’s brows,” said Skyler McManus, owner at Hamel’s Surf & Skate.

Police say the gang unit is now investigating Thursday’s shooting.

“A 24-hour police presence, that’s the only way that the nefarious people stay away and the tourists, the local people can enjoy the beach,” Kelley Sexton said.

FOX 5 first caught up with Sexton after she was witness to a Labor Day shooting in the area that wounded one woman. This week, she again found herself near the gunfire.

“Sunday was really scary because I heard a pop, pop, pop,” Sexton said.

Sunday around 7:30 p.m. a separate shooting near Belmont Park ended in the arrest of another three people. Police have not been able to confirm if the two shootings are related.

“In the past, they have actually set up a substation in the south parking lot and it usually tampers everything down. Even set up spotlights in this parking lot,” McManus said.

Businesses are hoping police will consider bringing back a more permanent presence.

“I feel like there’s something that we have to do. At Fit Athletic, we’re very community-based and having stuff like that happen right outside of my workplace, it makes you feel a little unsafe and uneasy,” De La Parra said.

While for now there are no confirmed plans to bring back the Mission Beach substation, police say staffing has been increased around Mission Beach seven days a week.