Frederick police are beefing up patrols following a series of violent attacks in the area. One such attack left a father of two dead.

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Police were called to Mullinex Alley late Saturday night and found the body of 36-year-old Lamont Ellis of Urbana. Ellis had been out with friends in Frederick's Downtown restaurant district and was walking back to his car when he was attacked, police said.

It all happened right behind Teria Pittman's home.

"I heard a shot, called police and said it was like three shots," Pittman recalled.

Police have no suspects in Ellis' death.

Two days later and just a few blocks away from where Ellis was killed, a huge brawl was reported. Shots were fired and one person was stabbed, police add.

Arnold Farlow said he saw the entire incident.

"About 30 to 40 people punching each other, women hitting men, men hitting women. Just free for all," said Farlow. "...and then all of a sudden gunshots started erupting. Course I ducked."

When he looked up again, the crowd had scattered.

Police do not believe anyone was hit by gunfire.

"It's so close we cant discount the fact that it might be related," said Lt. Clark Pennington of the Frederick Police Department.

An investigation into both crimes continues.

Farlow, who runs the Frederick Rescue Mission, blames a new group of thugs in the neighborhood for the rash of crimes. He said they need to be shut down.

Farlow added,  "We need to do something about it. Frederick is a great community, but if we don't get control of this situation, we're gonna lose our community."