Man Wounded In Bronx Car Dealership Shooting Relieved His Young Sons Were Not Injured: 'I Thank The Man Upstairs'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A father was with his three sons at a Bronx car dealership last week when a shooting happened.
He was hit, but the children were not hurt.
Now, police are looking for three gunmen who stole a car to get away, CBS2's Andrea Grymes reported Monday.
MORE: Father Struck By Bullet While Shielding 3 Children From Gunfire In Bronx Car Dealership
It was like a scene from the Wild West. Video shows a gunman open fire and shatter a glass door.
Mere inches away, Anthony Jefferson jumped on top of his three children, literally throwing his body over theirs to shield them from bullets.
"I just went into fatherly mode at that moment and I just wanted to keep the kids safe," Jefferson said.
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Jefferson spoke with Inside Edition about the terrifying ordeal at On The Road Automotive Group on Boston Road in the Eastchester section of the borough. He was there on Sept. 21 at around 7:30 p.m. with his three sons, picking out a car for his wife's birthday, according to a GoFundMe page set up for him, when the bullets started flying.
Investigators say Jefferson was an innocent bystander.
He was hit in the thigh and foot.
His children were not physically hurt.
Jefferson's wife, Danica, was overcome with emotion.
"I have to constantly deal with my 2-year-old crying in his sleep, saying, 'The guy shot my daddy. He shot my daddy. The guys ... the bad guys, they hurt my daddy,'" she said.
Police believe the shooting was gang-related and not related at all to the dealership. They said three men began shooting multiple rounds at another man, who fired back.
Police said one of the shooters stole a customer's car outside to get away.
For the Jeffersons, they're just grateful they all survived.
"We really blessed. I thank the man upstairs. I thank everybody," Anthony Jefferson said.
As he continues to recover, police said they continue looking for suspects. But so far no arrests have been made yet in this case.
A GoFundMe page for Jefferson has already raised more than $280,000 for his medical bills and therapy for his children. The page says Jefferson lost his job because of his injuries.
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