WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. – A five-year-old girl has been released from the hospital after a stray bullet struck her in the leg during a drive-by shooting outside her West Memphis home.
Dakayla Anderson limped into her North 18th Street home Thursday evening with the help of a walker and family members. Her left leg will likely remain in a cast for several months, her mother told WREG.
Neighbors said the shooting happened around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday as Dakayla stood in her front yard.
“Dakayla was out here talking to her grandmom and a guy came by in a car and see another guy ran across their yard,” said Dakayla’s aunt, Zadie Brown, who heard the account from other family members.
Brown and neighbors said the suspect was trying to shoot the fleeing man, but missed.
A bullet struck Alindia McVay’s storm door, and then another hit Dakayla.
“The guy ran over there and then they shot over there,” said McVay.
“They shouldn’t be shooting in nobody else’s yard, and it’s point blank. I understand they was trying to shoot somebody else, but they shot a five-year-old,” said Brown.
Brown said Dakayla, who only just began kindergarten, is looking forward to the day when she can return to class.
“She missing school really. She’s worried about school, basically,” said Brown.
WREG left multiple messages for the West Memphis Police Department Thursday afternoon, but did not receive a response. Consequently, it’s unknown if police have any suspect descriptions or leads.
