3-year-old struck by stray bullet, critically injured on NYE
UPDATE, MONDAY: The child’s grandmother says the boy’s name is Brayden Smith, and he is currently on life support.
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A 3-year-old boy is in critical condition after police say a stray bullet went through a window, striking him in northeast Memphis Sunday evening.
According to reports, officers responded to the shooting at the Edgewater apartments just before 6 p.m.
Southeast Memphis shooting leaves man severely injured
Officers found a child on the scene with an apparent gunshot wound. He was transported to Le Bonheur in critical condition, Memphis Police say.
Police say the child was home with his family celebrating New Year’s Eve when a stray bullet came through the window and struck him. They believe the shots may have been celebratory gunfire for NYE.
Joseph Banks lives in the Edgewater apartments and says he also heard gunshots on New Year’s Eve.
“I had told my wife, you’ll come back here with me because I had heard a lot of shooting back there,” Banks said.
“It’s the first day of the new year, really. We really haven’t made it to the new year, but it’s just sad to hear that,” Banks said. “It’s sad because we had our three-year-old grandson, he was staying with us at that time. We were just thinking it could have been us.”
“Celebratory gunfire is illegal in the city of Memphis,” said Assistant Police Chief Don Crowe. “Do not shoot guns for celebration. The bullets will come down somewhere, and if those bullets come down and hit a person, it will injure a person. It is a crime to shoot a gun in celebratory gunfire.”
If you have any information regarding this incident, call Crime Stoppers at 901-528-CASH.
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