Video shows chaotic moments during shooting at NYC convenience store
NEW YORK -- A barrage of bullets pierced a convenience store in the Bronx on Monday night, leaving six people wounded, including a 12-year-old girl and her mother, who police say was used as a human shield.
As the NYPD continues to search for the shooters, the Williamsbridge neighborhood remains shaken.
Video shows total chaos on White Plains Road
There was calm and then chaos after the sound of gunfire burst into the air at the busy intersection on White Plains Road. Police say two gunmen began shooting at a group of men who ran for cover inside G&W Grocery.
Video obtained by CBS News New York shows bystanders sprinting for cover, including one man tripping over a T-Mobile sign and others ducking into Carlos Collado's store next door.
"There was a lot of commotion, a lot of yelling, yes, and even folks outside were screaming due to what they were seeing," said Collado, owner of Fine Fare Supermarket. "Then when I saw the running, people turning on to 12th, here, coming this way and we even saw an elderly couple, one with a walker, and my employees asked them to come inside because they couldn't run as fast as everyone else."
Even more jarring was the sight of the 12-year-old girl shot in the leg, and her mother, who police say was grabbed and shot in the stomach after being used by the intended target as shield.
"It was a dire situation," explained Jorge Suero, a friend of the mother and daughter who said he raced next door to help as soon as he heard the gunfire. "When the ambulance arrived, they were caring for the child, but didn't notice that the woman had a gunshot wound to the stomach. She was yelling that she had been shot. I placed her on the stretcher and yelled for them to bring another one."
Sister of woman used as human shield says loved ones are scared
"She's sleeping. She's no feel good," said Rafael Delacruz, the sister of the mother who was shot.
Delacruz said her sister endured a five-hour surgery on Monday, and due to an infection, she says doctors left the incision open.
"She got only a bandage on her stomach," she said.
Delacruz said her niece is now limping and starting to show improvement.
"It's coming out by itself. It go in and go out," she said.
The neighborhood is still on edge, including Delacruz's sister.
"She don't wanna go home, and my niece either. She's scared over there," she said.
Delacruz said her niece may be released from the hospital in a few days, but it's unclear when her sister will be able to go home.
Robert Fuentes said he was in the emergency room when victims of the shooting were arriving.
"The whole hospital was flooded with cops ... It was chaotic. It was like a madhouse," he said. "One of the guys that was there, they bandaged him up and everything, they walked away from him, and he took everything back off. He wouldn't leave, they wouldn't let him go."
Shootings down in area, but not enough for Mayor Adams
The gun violence happened in the 47th Precinct, where shooting incidents are down by about 28%, with 26 happening this year compared to 36 in 2023.
When asked Tuesday about the incident, Mayor Eric Adams emphasized that even one shooting is too many.
"We continue to drop down shootings and homicides, but, again, those numbers mean nothing when you see a horrific incident like that. We want all of these guns off our streets," Adams said.
Members of the community echoed the mayor's sentiments.
"It's such an unfortunate event that one of them runs in and takes a mother as a shield. That's terrible," Collado said.
