HENDERSON -- A series of deadly shootings has left one city asking the state for help.

Henderson has seen at least five shootings this month with at least six people killed. That prompted Mayor Eddie Ellington to call Governor Roy Cooper's office.

“To see if any kind of task force could be put in place, some reinforcements could be sent. We need the help. The police department is 13 officers down now,” he says.

Ellington believes it's the first time the city has had to make that call.

“We want to ensure the citizens that we're very serious about that and also let the residents know that live in these neighborhoods, where this crime is going on, that they're not held captive by it.”

Some residents say the state doesn't need to get involved but local police should do more to reduce crime.

“They need to have more of a positive presence in the hood,” says Lucas Perry, the barbershop owner of ExQuizid Cuts 2.0. He says he's known a lot of people who lost their lives to crime.

“It sort of grieves me, like I said, because my heart is for the people, just to see us continuously kill each other, it gets really saddening.”

Police say it's possible the shootings are connected but they're still investigating. Ellington says there could be a few reasons for the crime wave.

“We have a drug problem. Crime problem.”

But he wants people to know there's a lot of good about Henderson.

“We need the community to believe. We need the community not to lose faith and know this is their city.”