Frustrated Father's Lament At Son's Stray Bullet Wounding: 'People Get Shot Every Day'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Another stray bullet shooting has wounded a child, this time 11-year-old Kalel Gardner who is the face of innocence.
CBS2's Scott Rapoport reports on the latest victim of appalling gun violence in East Harlem.
Police believe Gardner was shot by a gunman seen on surveillance video firing wildly into the streets.
Investigators believe the little boy was not the intended target when he was hit, but the child's father was resigned.
"People get shot every day," said Eddie Gardner. "You gotta be careful when you're going outside. It's like looking both ways on a one-way street."
In his first interview, Eddie Gardner told CBS2 he has seen the video of his son lying on the floor of a East Harlem deli Sunday afternoon, a bullet in his leg and anguish in his heart.
The father's words are haunting and tragic.
"He knows mistakes happen," said Eddie. "He knows what neighborhood he's in."
This type of violence is not unfamiliar to the Gardner family.
"My father died from a stray bullet in Jamaica," said Eddie.
Stray bullet shootings have become a scourge of the city of late. In the month of June, the NYPD reported eight stray bullet shootings and 10 victims, one of them killed while walking a dog in Harlem.
On June 24, 11-year-old Jaden Grant was hit in the chest by a stray bullet in Crown Heights. He may never walk again.
"Obviously, this many in a short period of time is unacceptable, completely and totally unacceptable," said NYPD Chief Terence Monahan.
As of Monday night, Kalel Gardner was still in the hospital but his father says he's going to be OK.
His alleged shooter is still out there, as is the potential for more danger.
