“I went to clean up my house, and there was blood everywhere with bullet holes in the walls. I can’t take my baby girl back to our house.”
The mother of an 11-year-old girl who was struck in the leg by gunfire at their family home last week said her family “is terrified” to remain in Yazoo City. But she said she is left with limited options as she continues to ask city leaders to address the current criminal wave that is consuming the community.
It was during the early morning hours, around 1 a.m., when the family’s sleep was interrupted by multiple gunshots being fired at their Yazoo City home.
“It was an ambush,” she said. “We were sleeping when three guys began shooting at our house. It was three guys dressed in black, and my neighbor had just seen them walking through the neighborhood. The bullets just ripped through our house, and my baby got hit.”
Her 11-year-old daughter was struck in her right leg during the incident.
“They did surgery and removed the bullet, which was stuck in her knee,” the mother said. “It did not hit any main arteries, but she is bruised and advised to rest for six to eight weeks. But now she is filled with anxiety and terror.”
“There was blood everywhere…in my home,” she added, her voice filling with tears. “It’s terrible. People should not have to live like this. And there are threats…saying they are going to keep shooting at my house all summer.”
As of press time, no arrests had been made in connection with the shooting. And the mother is not happy with the response from city officials. She spoke with the Board of Mayor and Aldermen last month when their family home was shot at the first time. There were no injuries reported during that incident, but she admits the board has not reached out to her.
“I had one officer tell me I should probably just stay out of town for a while,” she said. “I shouldn’t feel safe in my own home? But I can’t take my baby back there. She is too upset, and our house with bullet holes is just a reminder of that night.”
The mother also said she has not been contacted by City Hall even though she continues to leave messages.
“I need a safe haven or just a call back,” she said. “Surely, there is something that can be done to help us as we try to figure something out. But everyone is acting like they are not concerned. We put these elected officials into office. But then once we vote for them, they don’t do anything they told us they would do. It’s ridiculous. They keep talking about moving forward, but we are going backwards.”
