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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- Is a lack of streetlights to blame for the city's latest murder? Some business owners think so.

Police say a 62-year-old man was gunned down as he closed his restaurant Sunday night. The restaurant is near Academy Boulevard and Airport Road where several streetlights in that area have been turned off by the city in an effort to save money.

None of the business owners near the murder scene would talk to FOX21 News on camera. They told reporters they are afraid of retaliation.

But off-camera they said the area is much darker at night, and they feel that makes it easier for criminals to lurk in the shadows.

When FOX21 News checked the area in daylight, reporters saw every other light along Airport Boulevard had an orange band attached, signifying the light had been turned off by the city to save money.

"Unfortunately the lights out does make it a spookier area," said Nancy Henson, a woman who lives near the crime scene.

"If we start judging whether or not a streetlight causes crime I think we are taking the wrong tactic," said City Councilman Bernie Herpin.

FOX21 News went to Herpin for answers on the streetlights in his district, which includes the murder scene.

"Because our district does have some areas that are higher crime, less lights have been turned out," Herpin said.

So reporters asked if he would get the streetlights near the crime scene turned back on.

"I’m going to leave that up to the task force that was created. I’ve asked them to take a look at that," Herpin said.

People who live near the crime scene told FOX21 News they weren't entirely surprised by the shooting.

"We’re not a great area but we're not the worst -- we are right in the middle," Henson said.

But Herpin says crime is far too complex to be prevented or caused by a simple streetlight.

“From reading the police report and the media report this was a targeted incident. The person who was shot was targeted and I suspect he would have been targeted whether the streetlight was on or off," Herpin said.

Herpin says the city task force puts a lot of work into deciding which streetlights to shutoff. So he will go along with whatever they recommend about the lights in that area.