Another of 4 is tonight at the KHMH after she was shot by robbers, but they weren't trying to rob her. Denise Flowers was simply an innocent victim caught in the crossfire at around 8 this morning. 29 year old Flowers was at a Chinese store on West Collet Canal when she was caught in the middle of an altercation between a fruit and vegetable vendor and armed gunmen who were trying to rob him. One of the men fired at the machete wielding vendor, but missed him and shot Flowers in the midsection. We spoke to her family at the hospital.
Alfonso Noble Reporting,
29-year-old Denise Flowers was at a Chinese store at around 8 this morning doing some shopping when armed assailants attacked one of the fruit and vegetable vendors that sell at the canal side. According to her sister, Andrea Tucker says that's when she was shot.
Andrea Tucker, Sister
"The understanding I got is that she went to buy at the market and they were robbing two Spanish and she was just in the line of fire at the moment. And someone was out there who saw because they said a boy saw but he doesn't want to say anything because according to them the boy was next to my sister. She went to buy and two boys were robbing the Spanish them because it was two Spanish they said they were robbing and the Spanish supposedly hauled out their machetes after the boy and that is how the boys fired the shot and she got in the line of it. Sometimes you have to say you are in the wrong place at the wrong moment of time and accidents do happen but it is just buy she went to buy. She went to buy her thing to cook for her pickney to eat when they come home at 12 o'clock."
Flowers received a gunshot to the abdomen and was rushed to the KHMH. Now the 29-year-old mother of 4 is at the hospital receiving treatment but her family says that it's difficult because of her blood type.
Andrea Tucker,
"What we are asking for is that 'O' negative blood is hard to find. My sister has a lot of friends and we know somebody is out there who is her friend who has 'O' negative blood who at least can give us assistance with her because it looks like she really needs it."
And while the family asks for the public to assist by giving blood, they also ask that justice be swift and sure.
Andrea Tucker,
"We would just want the person who saw to come and say whatever, so my sister can get her justice because my sister has four pickney. She has four pickney and she is trying to take care of her pickney good without the help of their father."
Today police say they may just be getting that as they have already detained one person and are looking for a second, the shooter.
Supt. Chester Williams, Commander - C.I.B.
"We have one person in custody at this time, Lionel Neal, and we are looking for another person in connection with that particular incident. The area of the Queen's Square Market is an area that the police have been focusing on over a period of time but due to the fact that we focused our resources elsewhere, seemingly the crime is going back to that area but we'll look at that."
Police say they know who the second man is and are presently looking for him. As for Flowers and her need for a rare blood type, anyone wishing to assist with 'O' negative blood can make a visit to the blood bank.
