3-year-old shot while on sofa in Lakewood home

Police say child shot in drive-by shooting on Bishop Lane

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 3-year-old inside her Lakewood home Friday night was shot in the foot in what neighbors described as a drive-by shooting.

Neighbors tell Channel 4 the child was hit by a bullet while lying on the sofa in a front room of the house on Bishop Drive, off St. Augustine Road near Powers Avenue.

Anthony Altizer, 16, said he heard the shooting from his couch down the street.

"I heard about eight or nine blasts and I wanted to believe they were fireworks at first, but it was too consistent to be and too loud to be, so I walked down the street and I heard the police sirens and I saw the police and I saw the ambulance show up," Altizer said.

The shooting occurred around 11 p.m. Friday. Jacksonville Fire-Rescue confirmed it transported a 3-year-old to the hospital for treatment. Neighbors say the girl was treated and released and was back home Saturday morning.

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"It's horrible. I don't know how you can be a 3-year-old and worry about being shot in your own home. It's sad," said Altizer.

"This child is going to be traumatized for the rest of their life.  Please stop these random drive-by shootings where you are harming our children," said Donald Foy with the MAD DADS organization. "...Some of them, we're just going to have to lock them up for our community to be safe. We as a community have to take a stand when this happens."

Channel 4's Chris Parenteau counted 11 bullet holes in the home; five in the door, three to the left near front windows and three to the right near porch windows.

A surveillance camera was mounted on a nearby home and neighbors told Channel 4 they hoped that could help police in their investigation.

"It's mostly always been a safe neighborhood. That's why I would have never expected it here, but you expect the unexpected, I guess," one neighbor told WJXT.

No arrests were made Friday night and police were searching for suspects.

If you have any information, call Crime Stoppers at (866) 845-TIPS or the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office at (904) 630-0500.