Last night, for the second consecutive night, the report of gunshots shattered the quiet on the city's streets and yet again the bullets missed their intended target and hit an innocent bystander.
Just before 10pm, a spray of bullets was issued from a 9-millimeter pistol outside the home of a young couple on Amara Avenue. Those bullets may have been intended for Arden Robinson but they ended up in his girlfriend Sandra Thompson's thighs. Keith Swift has the story.
These entry and exit wounds from a 9-millimeter bullet on Sandra Thompson's thigh are the painful physical scars left from last night's shooting. And then there are the emotions; the near tears from this 19 year old after street warfare reached too close to home.
Sandra Thompson, Shooting Victim
"They shot me innocent because I don't have a problem with any of them."
"I just don't know what is the whole point with the whole amount of young boys who are just shooting up each other and everything. It happened, it happened the night before a lady got shot in her house and now the next night five shots were fired at my house. I got two in my leg and I could have died. I am just lucky that they just passed through my leg and passed out back. I am just lucky, that's all."
At 9:45 last night Sandra and her boyfriend were at this Amara avenue house, which they have called home for the past two years. Sandra had just returned from buying some food and was about to sit down to eat when the shots rang out.
Sandra Thompson,
"I went to buy a chicken on my bike at 'kick-down fence' and I returned home and put the bike down. I was inside eating the chicken and as I started to eat the chicken I just heard gunshots. And I was sitting right around the table because I didn't expect that in my house they would come shoot me. But I just heard the gunshot and I just sat there because I was frightened and then after that I just know I got shot so I jumped up and ran into the room where my boyfriend was. I told him I got shot and then the police just came and took me to the hospital. And I can't say who shot me because I don't know who shot me. All I know is that somebody was outside the bust shot. That's all."
Keith Swift,
"So you think the bullet was intended for your boyfriend?"
Sandra Thompson,
"I...I can't say that it was for him but I say that beef is between boy and boy and you are hanging out with your friend. Maybe it was for him but I can't say. I don't know who they came to shoot."
Keith Swift,
"So this was totally unexpected for you? You were enjoying your 'kick-down fence' fried chicken when the gunshots came?"
Sandra Thompson,
"I had just started to eat it and I was sitting around the table and I just heard the gunshots. I was frightened and I just felt the pain in my leg."
Sandra was hit, but incredibly one 9 millimeter bullet entered and exited both her thighs. She is out of the hospital tonight but not back home. And she fears that she may never be able or feel safe enough to call number 15 Amara avenue home again.
Immediately after the shooting, police detained two suspects. Word on the street is that last night's shooting was related to a shooting, which occurred last Saturday night when 17-year-old Jermaine Grant was shot. For that shooting, 20-year-old John Russell has since been charged with attempted murder, dangerous harm, and use of deadly means of harm.