GALLAWAY, Tenn. — A Mid-South family is living in fear after a drive-by shooting sent bullets whizzing past children who were playing on the front porch.
The ordeal started Sunday when an uninvited stranger parked outside a Gallaway family’s home.
“I asked him to move from in front of my house, and he got mad at us,” a shooting victim said.
The man eventually left, but the family was worried they’d see him again.
“I kinda figured that he’d come back, but it shocked me,” the shooting victim said.
Early Monday morning, as loved ones were gathered on the porch, the car returned, a window rolled down and a gun emerged.
“They just started shooting,” another victim said. “I didn’t know what to do. I’m just sitting out here.”
“He shot through my house, through the kid’s room and into the bathroom,” the victim said.
The family counted at least eight shots directed at their home as children played outside. One of the bullets struck a grill with a young girl sitting on the other side. The grill saved that girl’s life.
“The grill saved me really,” she said. “It really did. I’m still here. I’m blessed.”
Gallaway police made the scene and said it’s still an active investigation. WREG visited their offices to get an incident report and suspect information, but they said it’s not finished yet.
In their quiet town that’s about 30 miles away from the gun violence that plagues Memphis, the family is still in shock.
“I want justice to be served because … it’s innocent kids that were playing out here, and they weren’t thinking about that,” a victim said.
“I’m speaking to the person who did it,” another victim said. “What if that was your child? What if that was your mother? You’re shooting at innocent bystanders. What does that solve? Nothing.”
Anyone with information about this crime is asked to contact law enforcement immediately.