Girl, 12, Shot in Bronx Park During Possible Gang Crossfire
The victim's sister recounted a harrowing phone call in which the girl, bleeding from a stomach and foot wound, said, 'I got shot.'
A 12-year-old girl sustained gunshot wounds to her stomach and right foot after being caught in what authorities suspect was gang crossfire in a Bronx park. The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. Monday in Westchester Square.
According to the girl's 14-year-old sister, Miral Alamouri, the victim called her immediately after being shot, expressing fear and stating, "I got shot." Miral Alamouri recounted trying to keep her younger sister awake during the distressing phone call, fearing she might fall into a coma.
"It's so crazy to get that call," Alamouri told the New York Post. "That's not a call you would expect from your sibling. I had just left her minutes prior to that."
The victim was in a park on Tratman Avenue, an area known as The Pearly Gates Park, with friends when the shooting occurred. Witnesses reported hearing people yelling "Ewok!" amidst the gunfire. The individuals involved in the shooting were reportedly masked.
The 12-year-old has undergone surgery for a perforated colon and has a fractured right foot, requiring further surgical intervention once her abdominal condition stabilizes. Her family, who declined to share a photo of the injured child due to fear, expressed their anguish, noting her birthday is approaching.
"I just want them to stop giving children or young adults access to weapons because they don't know how to use them,'' Miral Alamouri said. "They keep using it to target people, shoot people. It's always the wrong person at the wrong time and that shouldn't be happening. You go to the park to sit there and play with your friends, not to get shot."
Authorities have not yet revealed a motive for the shooting or identified any suspects. The incident highlights ongoing concerns about gun violence in city parks and its impact on young people.