'I don’t know why they’re doing it to us': Girl, 11, injured in West Philly shooting, talks of trauma

Injured in shooting, 11-year-old girl shares experience

The mother and grandmother of an 11-year-old girl, injured in a double shooting in West Philadelphia, talk about the gun violence crisis.

WEST PHILADELPHIA - An 11-year-old girl is at home recovering with graze wounds, according to her family, after she was hit with a stray bullet when someone fired nearly 30 shots in West Philadelphia on Wednesday night.

"I’m grateful she’s not paralyzed," says the girl’s mom, Carmen. "I’m grateful because I get to see her face, I get to see her smile. I’m grateful."

The family asked that we only identify them by their first names.

Just before 11:30 p.m., Carmen says she got off work and picked up Payton and her younger siblings from childcare in West Philadelphia. They were waiting for the bus on South 52nd Street, near Ludlow Street, when they heard three gunshots.

"Me and my girls ducked and ran and that’s when the rest of the shots just started ringing out," Carmen recalled. "I heard my name being called, ‘Mom,’ she was crying, screaming, telling me ‘Her back, her back,’ and there was a bystander that I’m truly honestly grateful for."

Payton was treated and released from CHOP early Thursday morning with graze wounds to her back, hip, and leg according, to her mom and grandmother.

Philadelphia police believe the girl was hit with a stray bullet when nearly 30 shots were fired by what they believe was at least two shooters. A 32-year-old man was also shot in the leg and taken to the hospital, and a nearby car was hit with a 16-year-old was inside, police say, but the teen was not hurt.

"Grow up people, you’re hitting your wrong targets. She’s 11," says Payton’s grandmother, Kyra. "We gotta do better Philly, we gotta do better."

Payton’s family - especially her mom and younger siblings who witnessed the shooting - are traumatized and furious this happened in a busy area with children around, on a path they have walked dozens of times.

"We got kids that don’t even want to play outside no more, because they’re scared whether or not they’re gonna die. My 11-year-old, she should not have to tell me, ‘Why did this happen to me mom? I’m sorry, I don’t wanna die.’"

Payton has a message for the shooters.

"There’s innocent kids out there that’s not doing anything to them, so I don’t know why they’re doing it to us," she says.

Anyone with information on the shooting should contact the PPD Shooting Investigation Group.

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