Police believe that the gunmen in that white car are also responsible for another shooting, just a few minutes farther that killing. This one was in the in the area of Kut Avenue and it left a mother injured and sent one politician scrambling for cover.
Police say that around 8:25 gunmen opened fire on a basketball court near the corner of Kut Avenue and Euphrates Avenue. Residents say they heard as many of fifteen shots, one which caught 55 year old Cleopatra Tucker in the head. Tucker was five hundred yards away from the site of the shooting, in front of her home across the bridge on Kut Avenue when the bullet grazed her forehead. Her son Leshawn gave us his account, but we begin with Port Loyola Area Rep. Boots Martinez. He lives nearby and was purchasing groceries at his neighborhood Chinese shop when the gunshots sent him running for cover.
Hon. Anthony "Boots" Martinez,
"All of a sudden I heard this loud noise. I thought it was the Christmas season and I thought it was dynamite (fire cracker) but when I looked forward, I saw like fire coming out and heading in that direction. I saw people running so I was almost literally ran over by a lady and in the same motion I just laid on the ground and a little boy was passing running and I pulled him by his foot beside me."
Keith Swift,
Sounds like it was tense.
Hon. Anthony "Boots" Martinez,
"Well it was very scary. To me it is just like taking cover. I too saw the fear in people. I live on the southside but it was a very scary moment for a lot of people too."
Keith Swift,
And you ran for cover.
Hon. Anthony "Boots" Martinez,
"Well definitely. A hero is a dead man."
Leshawn Tucker, Son of Victim
"I was upstairs watching the football game and I heard my brother call for me and when I came down I saw my mom on the floor and I asked her what happened and she said she felt this burning sensation in her forehead so I checked it and it looked like she got shot so we just jumped in the car and took her to the hospital and got her taken care of."
Keith Swift,
What is her condition?
Leshawn Tucker,
"She is alright. She took surgery yesterday and removed the bullet and she recovering right now."
Keith Swift,
Do you believe your mom was the target?
Leshawn Tucker,
"No. It is some shooting that happened across the bridge and bullet came way down this part."
Cleopatra Tucker is doing well and should be released from the hospital later this week. Despite the number of gunshots that were reported to have been fired, police say they recovered no expended shells.
