5-Year-Old Girl Shot By Stray Bullet On Fourth Of July In Newark
NEWARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) – A 5-year-old girl was shot during the Fourth of July festivities in Newark late Wednesday night, and police are searching for the suspect.
"We heard the big fireworks and right after the big fireworks, you heard the gunshots," witness Sara Washington told CBS2's Marc Liverman. "There was multiple gunshots back to back."
She said she heard five or six gunshots just before midnight.
"So the kids, they all came in one room and they got on the floor," she said.
While she and her kids were inside, she heard something else.
"After the gunshots, we heard the kids and the grownups all screaming 'no,'" she said.
Washington said it wasn't until the next morning that she found out what happened.
"It's sad that this baby had to get shot, and they were only trying to have a cookout," she said.
Police said the little girl was walking with her father when she was struck in the leg by a stray bullet. The 5-year-old was rushed to University Hospital and is expected to survive.
"Something's wrong somewhere, seriously, seriously wrong any time you're going out shooting babies," neighbor Linda Williams said.
So far, police haven't released a motive or description of the suspect.