Exclusive: Teen Shot In Head In Drive-By Speaks Out
NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE (CBSMiami) - A Northwest Miami-Dade teen who was shot in the head in a recent drive-by says he doesn't understand why the shooters fired at him and his friend, adding "I am just a football player."
Fourteen-year-old Jahquan Douglas is speaking out exclusively and for the first time since the incident that happened on the night of December 19th after he had just finished playing football with friends and was crossing busy N.W. 81st St. near 12th Ave. to return to his home.
"I don't mess with nobody. I am just a football player," Douglas told CBS4's Peter D'Oench. "I just didn't believe it really happened at the time. I wasn't thinking it was real at the time. I really didn't think much of it. I didn't know I was shot. I felt ringing in my head."
Douglas, who recently turned 14, told D'Oench he did not want to show all of his face because the suspects who Miami-Dade Police say took off in a silver or grey Nissan Altima are still on the loose. He remembers what happened.
"A car was pulling in to the turning lane," he said. "I did not pay much attention to it. I thought it was turning. I was mistaken with someone else. So they rolled down a window and shot 3 times."
Douglas said one of the bullets lodged in his head but doctors were able to remove it. His right eye remains closed and there are stitches above it from a wound caused by shrapnel from the bullet.
"I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said. "I was mistaken with someone else."
He said he feels terrible about the recent rash of shootings of children in Miami-Dade, with a number of the youngsters being victimized by bullets from drive-by shootings.
"I feel it shouldn't be happening," said Douglas. "It really has got to stop."
Although Douglas was nearly killed, he said he has no hard feelings in regard to the shooter.
"I'm not really thinking anything like that," he said. "I'm not looking at that. I'm looking past that. I'm just trying to get myself right so I can play football."
He also said he really appreciates the love from his family. His mother Mayzell was at his bedside for much of the time when he was hospitalized at Jackson Memorial Hospital.
Jahquan's 14-year-old brother Johnny Douglas also did not want to show all of his face but he wanted to speak out as well.
"My brother was an innocent victim," he said. "My brother did not deserve that. The kids were targeting someone other than my brother. He was caught in a cross fire and he is traumatized. I don't want to be here. My mom and my sister, we don't want to live here."
" This house in this neighborhood was just shot up this morning. My mom had to get down on the floor during that shooting. It's crazy," he said. "Tonight, on New Years Eve I know people go off and shoot off guns. It's a tradition and we need to be careful about that."
Mayzell Douglas said she and her family had moved to another apartment temporarily and hoped to find a new place to live that is safer.
Miami-Dade Police say they do not have a good description of the shooter from the nighttime drive-by.
Anyone with information about this case should call them or Miami-Dade Crimestoppers at (305) 471-tips (8477).
Your name will be kept confidential and you could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.
