NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — An 11-month-old girl was hospitalized Wednesday night in "critical but stable" condition after being shot in the face by a stray bullet in the Bronx, mayor Eric Adams said.
A fed-up Adams tweeted, "An 11-month-old baby shot in the Bronx. If that's not a wake up call, I don’t know what is. It should be unimaginable that this would happen in our city. But it did. Leaders at every level have abandoned city streets. I won't. I refuse to surrender New York City to violence."
He continued in a subsequent tweet, "We keep this young soul in our prayers tonight. She's hospitalized and in critical but stable condition. She should be safe at home. We will not give up the fight to keep babies like her safe. If you have any information on this shooting, please contact @NYPDNews immediately."
Police responded at 6:48 p.m. to a 911 call of a child that was shot at the corner of Valentine Avenue and East 198th Street.
Upon arrival, officers found a mother holding her 11-month-old baby girl who suffered a gunshot wound to her left cheek.
The mother and baby were immediately escorted to St. Barnabas Hospital, authorities said.
A preliminary investigation revealed that two unidentified individuals were at the corner of East 198th Street and the Grand Concourse.
One suspect chased another unidentified individual, eastbound on 198th Street down to Valentine Avenue, then southbound on Valentine Avenue where officials believe the suspect discharged his weapon twice.
Police said the mother and the child were inside a parked car at the time the gunshots were fired and the baby was struck. The baby's father was inside a nearby grocery store.
The baby was intubated at St. Barnabas Hospital but was transported to the Weill Cornell Medical Center.
Officials said investigators are interviewing eyewitnesses and reviewing surveillance camera footage. Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.