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11 Year Old Girl Shot Up In Her House
posted (August 13, 2012)
When we go to sleep at night - it's with the expectation that our families will be safe inside our homes.

But, an intensifying gang rivalry in the Supal Street area - has residents there on edge around the clock - after the sanctuary of a family's home was invaded by gunshots early on Saturday morning.

Two sleeping residents aged 18 and 11 were shot - and the younger victim, an 11 year old - who should be getting ready to enter standard six next month, is instead fighting for her life tonight at the KHMH.

Monica Bodden has the story:..

Monica Bodden reporting
It was on the lower bunk of this bunk bed that 11 year old Carlene Pinto and her 18 year old brother Tyrone Pinto were sleeping -when they were shot.

Their other sibling lay on the top bunk. We counted at least 6 bullet holes near the wall beside the bed.

Holes only inches away from where the children's heads were resting as they slept on that morning. When we got a view from the outside of the house - we counted 12 bullet holes.

It is a family's worst nightmare - waking up to the sound of gunshots - too many to keep count of.

Early Saturday morning around 4:53 Arlene Banner was at home with her common-law-husband and their 8 children - The family was all asleep when they heard a barrage of gunshots ring out.

Little did they know, their wooden bungalow house on Benbow Street was under fire.

Arlene Banner - Daughter of Shooting Victim
"I recall that between 2:30 and 3 o'clock, GSU came by. They banged on the door. I got up and I asked who. They said that they were police, so I told them that I would open the door. I opened the door, and they said that they were the GSU, and they were looking for one Kenton. So, I told them that I don't know anybody who is named Kenton, who lives here. They insisted that yes, someone does. I told them no. So, he said that there is a young man who said so. I told him no, and I asked him to bring the young man so that I can see who it is. So, when the brought the young man, he said, 'Yes'. I told him no, I don't have anybody who is named Kenton who likes here. He gave me a nickname. I recognized it as my son, but my son isn't named Kenton. I gave them my son's name. They said, 'Yes, but the person is in the house.' I opened the door wider, and I allowed them to search as freely as they wanted, and I told them again that we didn't have anybody who has that name here. They searched - they didn't take more than 5 minutes. They left, I locked my door, and I went back in my bed. I fell asleep, and that was what woke me - when I heard a first and second gunshot. So I forced myself in a corner on my bed, and the shots continued and continued. I said to myself, 'My goodness, when will it end?' I thought that whoever they were shooting at, something happened to him, not knowing that it was behind the house was where all the gunshots were aimed."

Banner said she heard one of her children yell out - and alerted her that her 11 year old child was shot.

Arlene Banner
"Seconds after, my boyfriend asked me if I was okay and I told him yes. By the time I could say that, I heard my son screaming. He told me that Carline got. I didn't believe it and my mind still didn't put together that it's from through the back that the gunshots came from. By the time I got out, my son who was 18 - he told me that he got shot too. He was trying to bring out the little girl, but they fell. She couldn't talk because she already got the shots. My other son came and picked up her up, shouted for the neighbor, and that's how we took her. It was then that we realized how many shots the child got."

11 year old Carlene Pinto was shot 4 times - once to her stomach, shoulder, buttocks and right foot. She is currently listed in a critical condition and the KHMH.

Arlene Banner
"Up to when she went directly into the operating theatre, she spoke from the time she got the shots up until the time when she got there, and to what I heard, also in the theatre before they started to do the surgery."

Monica Bodden
"What condition is she in now?"

Arlene Banner
"She's critical, but they have her stabilized right now, so we are just hoping for the best, that she will pull through. But so far, everything was done properly by the doctors at KHMH, Dr. Moguel, Guerra and 2 other doctors were there. They did a wonderful job to my knowledge. I could say thanks to them for bringing back my daughter to this level."

Carlene's older brother 18 year old Tyrone Pinto - who was with her on the bed -was also shot to the foot but was treated and released. He gave us his account of what he recalled happened that morning and how he tried saving his little sisters from getting shot.

Voice of: Tyrone Pinto
"Like my mom said, at around 3, the officers came to our house and started asking for an unknown name. 2 hours after that, we forgot about the incident and all of us went to sleep. At about 10 or 5 minutes to 5, I heard a first gunshot; it woke me up. I heard my sister shout out and cried, and after that I heard multiple gunshots fired. So, I kind of figured that it was our house because I heard it from the back of the yard, from where our bed was positioned. As the gunshots came, I felt a burning sensation in my leg, and I figured that it was our house. My sister was lying against the wall where the bullets were directly flying, so I pulled her along with me to try to get to the floor, in case. But, she accidentally fell out of my hands, staying on the bed a little more. I landed on top of my other sister that was sleeping on the floor. I told her I got shot in the foot. Carline rolled on top of my afterwards, so I tried to pick her up, but I couldn't walk. I made it far enough to let her get out of the room into the walkway. I was on the floor, and I saw blood on her shoulder. I shouted to my mom that Carline got shot. My old brother, Charles, then picked her up, and took her outside, where our neighbor came with his minivan and took her to the hospital. She was treated there immediately."

The biggest question tonight is why would someone want to put the lives of this family in jeopardy? But it's a question that no one seems to be able to answer - not even the police - who wrote off the attack as a random shooting.

Arlene Banner
"I am not able to say what happened, because I didn't see, and I don't have anything with anyone. I am a person who knows that she is respected by people. I am very friendly and respectful. I am not all over the place or getting into people's business. So for something like that to happen, it's very - and I can't pinpoint and say who is the cause. I don't know who it is, and I don't even want to know. All I am interested about is to make my daughter feel good, and pull through. That is all I want."

Monica Bodden
"Has it crossed your mind that it had something to do with the incident a little earlier?"

Arlene Banner
"I don't want to answer that with a yes or a no because I still don't know what happened because the name that they were asking for, I don't know it. I can't say that it is because of that or not. And I don't want to question it either. I'll just leave it as that."

Monica Bodden
"And the nickname that they mentioned - one of your son's nicknames - he does not live here with you guys right?"

Arlene Banner
"No ma'am, he does not live her with us. He doesn't live here any at all."

And while 11 year old Carlene is fighting for her life at the KHMH - her family is at home living in fear - stilling trying to come to terms with that happened.

Monica Bodden
"Could you even describe to us what you felt that morning, knowing that your 11 year-old child shot up?"

Arlene Banner
"To be honest, I still don't understand, and I still can't explain to you how I feel because it's like right now, I am still frightened, and I am still in fear. I can't really express myself and say that this is how I feel."

Geovanni Brackett - Plus TV
"Are you concerned about your security?"

Arlene Banner
"Hell yes, I am. My kids and I, every time I come home, we try to sit down and talk about it; what will happen; what we will do; what will be the outcome if my daughter makes it; how she will react to it. Even me as the mother, got that fear, to be honest. I am asking the Lord to help me through it so that I can cope. But so far, the biggest thing is when my daughter is ready to come back home, because this is my little castle. And I don't think that I am supposed to make nobody out there chase me from here because this is my home. So, it would be unfair for me if I have to move out of here. So, I just hope that something could be done, but what, I don't know."

Tyrone Pinto
"First of all, I wasn't listening to the gunshots. I was just reacting to try to move my sister away from the wall. So, I can' tell you home many shots were fired."

Monica Bodden
"Could you describe that feeling - how terrified you were realizing that you guy are being shot?"

Tyrone Pinto
"That feeling is so indescribable because your heart is pounding, and the threat that you feel from all those gunshots was unexpected especially for somewhere like a house fill with us who do not harass anyone. All we do is talk foolishness and play basketball."

Police have made no arrests - but again, the press officer today told the media it was a random shooting - as odd as that may sound seeing the trace of bullets on the side of the house.

We do know that nearby Supal Street has witnessed many shootings in the past few weeks.

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