We turn now to another child victim of crime, one year old Baby Gregory Mena, who was shot inside his home on Neal's Penn Road.
On Wednesday, night, gunmen barged into his family's yard, where women and other innocent children were present, and they shot and killed 32 year-old Alexander Carr, the father of his older sister.
Carr was at the house to spend time with his daughter. And while they were socializing in the gunmen opened fire on him, killing him on the spot.
But, they didn't stop there. One of the shooters then headed to the front door, where the toddler was dancing, and shot him on his right foot, injuring 3 of his toes. That shot ricocheted, and almost injured one of his aunts, who was holding a 2 week-old baby on her arms. Fortunately, she ducked in time to protect that newborn, and the bullet just grazed her jaw.
Baby Gregory has been at the KHMH since the shooting, where the doctors have been trying to repair the damage to his toes, so that he can walk when he gets older. His mother, Kayla Stevens, who's been at his side the entire time, spoke with us this evening, and she told us how the early stages of his recovery has been going:
Kayla Stevens - Mother of Baby Gregory
"Well, he took a surgery today on his foot. He is doing okay now. He's sleeping right now. It's really hard and all that he does is cry when he has pain, but other than that he is okay. He is living, thank God for that. He got shot in his toes so they are trying to sew. That's basically it, there is nothing else they can do because he lost 3 of his toes not fully, but half of them are gone. They don't know if he will walk yet so they are not trying to build my hopes up, they are not trying to bring it down but I believe he will walk again. He is a child of God. He is going to walk."
Reporter
"I know that you are trying to stay strong and focus on getting him healthy as possible but for you how have you been managing this whole thing?"
Kayla Stevens - Mother of Baby Gregory
"Well, to be honest it's really hard for me, but I try to be strong for my baby and my daughter, but it's really hard because I would have never believed that my son would have been caught up in a gun flick."
Reporter
"Then your daughter herself, have you had any kind of conversation with her? We know she was right there when this gun man attacked her dad."
Kayla Stevens - Mother of Baby Gregory
"Yes, we spoke yesterday but she was like, mom I'm so sad. But I already told her everything is going to be okay. We are going to make it through together."
Reporter
"For you and your family, your sense of security must be shaken that you are not even safe in your own house."
Kayla Stevens - Mother of Baby Gregory
"That's true because you feel like you are safe in your yard, but you are not safe anywhere. It is still a shock in me but honestly, I would have never believed it would actually happen. It's the first time I have witness it. It really hurts."
So, since the shooter targeted Alexander Carr first, it appears that he may have been the target. We also asked Kayla about her daughter's father, and why anyone would want him dead. She told us that it is puzzling to her as well:
Kayla Stevens - Mother of Baby Gregory
"To be honest I just think it's somebody that just wanted to chance somebody because he is not a bad person. He doesn't have friends, it like my yard is his only friend. Other than my yard, he is at his house. He is not a bad person, so who will want to hurt him? That is what have me puzzled, who will want to hurt him."
No one has been arrested or charged for this crime.
Email
Print