Atlanta

9-year-old shot while picking up toys, family says

By Aaron Diamant
By Aaron Diamant

ATLANTA — Police are looking for the person or people who opened fire on an apartment building, injuring a 9-year-old girl.

Lt. Greg Lyon, with the Atlanta Police Department, said officers responded to a call that someone had shot into an apartment building at the Hidden Village apartments along Landrum Drive in southwest Atlanta.

Investigators said a car drove up to one of the apartment buildings, and one or more people got out of the car and opened fire on two apartments.

Officers said Kendall Smith, 9, was shot in the arm by a stray bullet.

Family members told Channel 2's Aaron Diamant that Smith was picking up her toys when the bullet hit her.

Smith's great-uncle, Wayne Mason, told Diamant the family is still processing what happened.

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“When I first heard it, I didn’t think it was real. I didn’t think it was bullets until I heard my sister scream and my niece started crying,” Mason said.

“Our aggravated assault unit was here. They respond to all gun-related crime like this. They’re doing, they’re doing their investigation now. It’s going to take them a minute to try to unravel the motives behind that,” Lyon told Diamant.

Police said at least a dozen rounds were fired into the apartment building. Smith's family told Diamant they had just moved in about a month ago.

“It’s sad. This is not the kind of call we want to respond to at all,” Lyon said. “Her injuries are severe, but she’s going to be OK.”

Investigators said they are still trying to determine who was the intended target of the shooting.

Anyone with information about this shooting is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 404-577-8477.

Cox Media Group

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