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12-year-old boy shot in leg in Mattapan says he's afraid to go home

Mattapan boy hit by stray bullet says he's afraid to go home
Mattapan boy hit by stray bullet says he's afraid to go home 02:25

BOSTON - The Lorenzo family had just finished Easter dinner when gunshots rang outside their home on Cummins Highway in Mattapan.

One of the stray bullets crashed through the family's window and struck 12-year-old Luis Amparo in the leg. Stepmother Altagracia Lorenzo translated for Luis, who arrived in the United States eight months ago.

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Twelve-year-old Luis Amparo said he doesn't want to return to the Mattapan apartment where he was hit by a stray bullet on Easter. WBZ News

"He felt scared because he thought that he was to die and he was to lose everything," Lorenzo said.  

Police say several stray bullets came flying through their living room and kitchen. Bullets even smashed the windows of their car. Lorenzo said she heard cars speeding away shortly after the shooting. She says incidents like this terrify hard-working families and communities.

"There's a lot of nice people working day by day to build their life like me, like my husband, like my family, and we don't deserve it," Lorenzo said.

 As police look for the shooters, Luis is taking it slowly. He's back in school. His classmates sent him a slew of get well cards, which meant a lot to him.

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The bullet that hit Luis Amparo came through the window into the Mattapan apartment where the family was finishing Easter dinner. WBZ News

"He feels good because more people is supporting him more than he thought," Lorenzo said.

However, Luis still has nightmares and says he doesn't want to go back to the Mattapan apartment because he no longer feels safe.

"He would say to those people to stop doing the bad things," Lorenzo said.

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