NYC mom of girl grazed by stray bullet laments worsening climate of crime
A stay-at-home mother of three daughters Wednesday called it “insane” that her young child who just turned 5 last week was grazed by stray bullet in broad daylight in front of their Brooklyn home.
The 32-year-old mother, who asked that her name not be made public, told the Daily News her little girl is “fine” now — but lamented a worsening climate of crime that threatens innocent children.
Police said about 6 p.m. Monday, a gunman stepped out of the car near Dumont and Montauk Aves. in East New York and fired six shots at a man nearby — missing the target but grazing the little girl as the family returned from a shopping trip.
“She turned and felt the pain,” her father told The News afterward. “I’m disgusted by the whole neighborhood. It put like a slice on her head.”
The child was treated at Brookdale University Hospital and released Monday night.
“You always hear shots everywhere, but we don’t live in fear, that’s not living,” the mom told The News Wednesday. “It was traumatizing in the moment, especially when it happened to my little girl. The streets have gotten worse. … that it happened in broad daylight is insane.”
The mom also dismissed the bold assertion by Mayor de Blasio on Wednesday that “I believe there are some real issues we have to address …. But New Yorkers don’t live in fear. They keep moving forward.”
“I don’t have any interest in politicians because what they say is only for show,” the mom responded. “His press secretary called, he was outside speaking yesterday, but I didn’t have any interest. I have my kids to think about. I was more concerned about their remote learning.”
She said de Blasio’s latest remarks “seems like an empty statement. He’s not really saying anything.”
“What is his real plan. Is there an actual plan? Is there any plan at all,” she asked.
“I don’t really feel safe with shots going off in broad daylight,” the mom said. “You don’t know where they’re coming from and you don’t know where the guns are coming from.”