CLEVELAND — A Cleveland mother of four children was caught in a crossfire in front of her Glenville neighborhood home, and all she was trying to do was a catch a ride with her husband to work.
The Cleveland couple, who are too afraid to be identified, told News 5 the shot rang-out after two teens in a vacant lot next to their E. 112 Street home exchanged gunfire with a black Volkswagen Jetta or GTI, with dark tinted windows, at 5 p.m.
The Cleveland husband said one of the stray bullets pierced both of his wife's legs, causing significant bone and artery damage that doctors told him could take up to eight months to heal.
“Next thing I know she’s on the ground screaming because she got shot," the husband said. “Yes, four shots, and I guess that fourth one hit her."
The couple said something must be done to slow down the rampant gun violence in their community and they're demanding Cleveland's 5th Police District step-up patrols in their neighborhood.
“It was a black car sitting there with tinted windows, and later that day when she was taking out the garbage the car was still sitting right there. Then when I got home it was still sitting there," the husband said.
Cleveland Glenville, Ward 9 Councilman Kevin Conwell, said he's well aware of the ongoing gun violence issues, and said he plans to meet with the 5th district Cleveland police commander this week about increasing police presence in his ward.
Conwell said better state gun control laws are needed and he hopes Cleveland will invest in more money into Shotspotter gunfire detection technology, to cover all crime hot spots throughout the city.
“We have state lawmakers and state senators who know that we have to regulate these guns, we have to do it from down state," Conwell said. "Cleveland has tried to push so many tough gun laws, but it's the State of Ohio that has to make a change. We need to set up more Shotspotter technology, so when guns go off, the cameras will hit, and we know exactly where the shots are coming from.”
Meanwhile, a Cleveland husband is praying his wife makes a full recovery, and wonders if he'll have to move to another neighborhood to better insure his families safety.
“Yes I believe this incident will make her stronger, yes that’s a bad injury," the husband said. "But I love her a lot, and I’ll be there every step of the way.”
