Girls, 9 and 11, shot while playing in Brooklyn. Now their mothers are speaking out.
NEW YORK - Two little girls, 9 and 11, were shot while playing in a park Monday near a school in Brownsville, Brooklyn.
Investigators believe the girls, who are cousins, were not the intended targets.
The girls' mothers rushed them to Brookdale Hospital, where they were listed in stable condition.
Ruanna Brown, 9, has since been treated and released. The 11-year-old, named Empress, was shot in the back, but is thankfully said to be up and walking around in the hospital, although the bullet is still inside her.
Police are trying to track down at least two shooters. So far there have been no arrests.
The shooting
Shots were fired shortly after 9 p.m. near P.S. 178 on Dean Street. Police said the girls were playing in the middle of a field at Hilltop Park, as their mothers watched from a nearby park bench.
Six rounds were fired in the children's direction, hitting Ruanna in the leg and the Empress in the back, police said.
The mothers of Ruanna and Empress spoke with CBS New York's Alice Gainer. They told her they didn't see the gunmen.
CBS New York's Elijah Westbrook spoke with another family at the park Tuesday morning, who said they saw what happened.
"I was playing soccer, and the girl, she was just talking to her friend, sitting down, and she got shot," 11-year-old Barshai Henry Jr. said. "I was scared."
"I just can't imagine. As we're standing here, this could've been my son," said his mother, Arelita McClain.
Victim's mother speaks out
Brown's mother Melissa Alexander is exhausted after the ordeal.
"Thank God I'm not planning a funeral. She's going to live. She's going to live, thank God," she said. "She's waking up out of her sleep every now and again. You know, crying, jumping out of her sleep. Just making sure I'm right there."
Alexander said the bullet went "in and out" of Brown's leg.
"That's their favorite place to go, and now, unfortunately, it's the worst place to go. They don't want to go there anymore," Alexander said.
Police not ruling out gang-related motive
Detectives canvassed the scene for a description of the suspects and which way they took off. Based on the bullet casings found at the scene, investigators believe there were multiple shooters.
"There were possibly two shooters that fired at least six rounds in the direction the children were playing. At this time, it is unknown who the intended target was," NYPD Brooklyn North Assistant Chief Scott Henderson said late Monday night. "Thankfully, both young girls are conscious, alert and are being treated by the incredible medical staff at Brookdale Hospital."
Authorities said this is a ShotSpotter zone, but the technology was not activated at the time of the shooting, according to a source.
"At this time, we're exploring multiple avenues of possible motives for this type of incident. But we're not going to rule out gang-related incidents that are problematic to this particular area of Brooklyn," said NYPD Brooklyn North Deputy Chief John Mastronardi.
Gun violence in the neighborhood has grown
As the investigation continues, the NYPD says gun violence has skyrocketed in the neighborhood, with shootings up 64% this year compared to 2023. At least 28 people have been shot so far this year, versus 17 last year.
"There's too many people here who want to make this safer, so I'm pleading with our leaders -- there's no more talk. We know what works, we know what's needed, let's just do it," Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said.
"The over-proliferation of guns. These children are just able to get these guns so easily," Mayor Eric Adams said.
"Brownsville is going to be Brownsville, it's never going to change. I don't care how many police you put out here. It's the guns, you know what I'm saying," Brownsville resident James Dixon said.
The shooting came just a day after a 14-year-old was shot and killed less than a mile away. His 12-year-old cousin was arrested in that case.
"His life is over. If this thing is not handled properly, that 12-year-old loses his life along with his family member because there was a gun present," said Trenell "Supreme" Coleman, with Brownsville in Violence Out.
Anyone with information about the girls' shooting is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.