12-Year-Old Shot In Brooklyn Remains Hospitalized, Police Searching For Gunman
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- An intense police search is underway Sunday for the person who shot a 12-year-old in the chest in Brooklyn last night.
The boy remains hospitalized after he was shot while walking down a street in Bedford-Stuyvesant just before 10 p.m., CBS2's Christina Fan reported.
It happened near Malcolm X Boulevard and Madison Street.
Evette Lilley got the call late Saturday night from NYPD detectives that her 12-year-old grandson had been shot.
"I was numb. I was totally numb when they called and gave me the news of my grandchild," she told CBS2's Kiran Dhillon.
Watch Kiran Dhillon's report --
Lilley and the boy's mother rushed to the hospital to be by his side.
"He goes in and out, in and out, like he's in pain. He's in a lot of pain," she said.
It's unclear if the boy was a bystander, or if he was targeted. But when he realized he was shot, the boy ran into a liquor store to ask for help, sources told CBS2.
"I heard gunshots ... like four or five," the store owner said. "He was on the floor and then I called 911."
The owner, who did not want to be identified, is now distraught after witnessing a child in so much distress.
"Can you describe what you woke up feeling? Or last night?" Dhillon asked.
"It was bad. It was a 12-year-old. It was bad," the store owner said.
The shooting comes amidst a spike in gun violence in the city.
Police say as of April 4, there has been a 57% increase in shootings year-to-date than in the same period last year.
The child's family says they believe he was just walking down the street when he was shot.
"It's constantly happening, and nothing is being done, so something does need to be done," Lilley said. "The guns need to go off the streets."
They want justice for the little boy and that the person who shot him ends up being bars.
"All, all the family is, like, devastated, in shock over this... His friends," Lilley said. "He's a good kid. He goes outside. He likes to play basketball ... He's friendly. He's friendly. He's very friendly."
As for the boy, there's no word yet on when he'll be released from the hospital.
His family is praying for his full recovery.
No suspect information has been released.
CBS2's Christina Fan, Kiran Dhillon and Hazel Sanchez contributed to this report.
