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Bronx 5-year-old ‘alert and talking’ after having stray bullet lodged in her back
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Jul 2, 2023
Modified Jul 2, 2023
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Brittany Kriegstein
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Jul 2, 2023
Modified Jul 2, 2023
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A 5-year-old girl is alert and talking after she was struck by a stray bullet near her home in the Bronx, according to her grandmother.
Elizabeth Miles said little Zamayia Miles is “doing better” since a car ride with her parents in their Olinville neighborhood turned into terrifying chaos Friday night, landing her in the hospital with a bullet lodged in her back.
Zamayia was shot Friday around 7 p.m. when gunfire from another car went through her father’s gold Nissan on East 213th Street and White Plains Road, just steps away from a candlelit memorial for 26-year-old Justin Rodriguez, who was shot and killed around 12:30 a.m. on Thursday at the corner of East 213th Street and Holland Avenue, police said. Zamayia’s family was not attending the memorial at the time.
Miles had a bad feeling when she got an alert about the shooting from the Citizen App.
“When I saw it on Citizen App, I started screaming ‘Zamayia! Zamayia!’ I just had the feeling it was my grandbaby,” the worried grandmother recalled.
She tried to call the girl’s mother, Shanise Miles, but couldn’t get through. By the time she heard back, Zamayia was already being rushed to the hospital.
“They need to take all the guns off the street…. This is ridiculous. Too many children are getting hurt or killed, and adults with these guns. It’s just going crazy out here now,” Miles said.
The NYPD have posted signs on the block, asking for tips.
Brittany Kriegstein
Shanise Miles told the Daily News that the sound of a car backfiring may have sparked the shooting, though police did not confirm that theory. Zamayia’s panicked father tried to speed ahead to avoid the bullets, but only got as far as a nearby laundromat before jumping out with his bleeding daughter in his arms, the Daily News reported.
Police said they transported the little girl to Montefiore Medical Center via police cruiser to get her there as fast as possible. She was alert at the time, officials said.
Luz Lopez, 18, was just finishing her first week of work at the deli on the corner of East 214th Street and Holland Avenue when she heard four or five shots, and later found out that Zamayia had been struck.
“I don’t know how to feel to be honest,” she said about the shooting. She said she lives nearby and usually feels safe.
Lopez also recalled seeing Rodriguez around the store before his death, adding that he was “cool” and made music.
On Sunday, Chief of Patrol John Chell said the 5-year-old's shooting was linked to "a homicide the night before," the New York Post reported.
A memorial of candles outside the home of 26-year-old Justin Rodriguez.
Brittany Kriegstein
Rodriguez’s family, who live two doors down from the Miles home, declined to speak with Gothamist Sunday.
There have been no arrests for either shooting and they remain under investigation, according to the NYPD.
Rodriguez is the second person to be fatally shot in the Bronx neighborhood of Olinville in June, according to data from the NYPD. Nixon Rodriguez, 18, was shot and killed June 2 on Olinville Avenue.
This story has been updated with additional reporting.
Tagged
public safety
bronx
the bronx
Brittany Kriegstein
Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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