Bronx woman shot in leg while walking dog amid scourge of New York City gun violence
NEW YORK -- The scourge of gun violence continues in New York City. Twelve people were shot in nine separate incidents over the past 24 hours.
Monday, CBS2's Jessica Moore spoke with a survivor of one of the shootings who was struck by a stray bullet fired from a passing car.
Mecaira Bridgewater, a nanny, was walking her dog Gus at around 9 p.m. Sunday in her Bronx neighborhood when she thought she heard fireworks.
"Until I heard another pow and I was like, oh it has to be gunshots," Bridgewater said.
Bridgewater, 22, quickly realized that "pop" was a bullet that hit her leg.
"It was as if, I felt my foot was coming off or something. I don't know how to describe the pain," Bridgewater said. "I was one lucky kid to not have it hit a bone or artery or anything. It just went in and out."
"What do you think should happen to the person who did this?" Moore asked.
"Time, long time, because you shot an innocent person who was just walking their dog," Bridgewater said.
According to police, the same gunman was also behind a double-shooting at a nearby convenience store. An innocent teenager and her mother visiting from San Antonio were shot.
"It's children that's getting hurt. Children, innocent children," said Shaquasha Cloud, a Bronx resident.
"I live right around the corner, and I'm hearing about this day after day after day. I feel like it's gotten outrageous," said Michelle O'Toole, another resident.
Bridgewater said she's thankful to be alive and hopes Mayor Eric Adams will send a strong message that gun violence is never OK.