JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A pregnant 18-year-old girl was shot in the face Sunday in an apparent drive-by in an Arlington neighborhood, according to witnesses.
Officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office were called to Wiltshire Street off University Boulevard, near Arlington Road early Sunday afternoon.
According to the police report, family members in the home heard four gunshots and then found the teen, who is seven months pregnant, covered with blood in a front bedroom. News4Jax is not naming the girl, because the shooter or shooters have not been caught.
"We do not have any information on any suspects right now, and that is what we are currently developing. Right now we are working through all the moving parts on this," Sgt. Harvey Baker said.
Bullet holes could be seen in the window and along the bricks of the house.
One woman who was in the house at the time told News4Jax that she thought at first the sounds that she heard were just fireworks. Then she heard the teen scream. She said when she saw her covered in blood, she thought the teen was dead.
The girl was taken to UF Health Jacksonville, and witnesses tell News4Jax they've learned she's doing OK and the baby is fine. Hospital officials were unable to provide an update on her condition.
Family members, who asked not to be identified, said they're worried the shooter could come back. Police have been vague with details about the shooting, but witnesses said it was a drive-by.
One witness suggested to police that "bad people" were mad at another relative over marijuana drug-dealing.
"The day after America's birthday and here we are with the police lined up on the street," said Suzann Deadman, a resident of the neighborhood for years.
Deadman said she was saddened, but not necessarily shocked, to hear a teen had been shot in the face.
"Things happen so quickly around here. We hear gunshots when we're inside. You look outside and you say, OK," Deadman said.
No arrests have been made.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.