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Child grazed by bullet while asleep in her room in Ocala apartment

Mother says her daughter is traumatized

OCALA, Fla. – Ocala police are investigating the shooting of a child grazed by a bullet Sunday night in Ocala.

Andrez Townz said gunfire erupted at Berkeley Pointe Apartments in Ocala while her 7-year-old daughter Leah was asleep in her room.

 "Everybody was outside just hanging out, then everyone went inside, Leah was asleep, and we were eating dinner and then gunshots went off," Townz said.

Townz said initially she wasn't sure what the noise was until she saw glass flying.

"I heard glass and I said did she break something, or did something fall in her room and then when I kept hearing the shots I was like, 'oh, those are gunshots'," Townz said.

As she realized what was happening she said she frantically ran into her daughter's room to make sure she was OK. 

"I ran in the room and asked her if she was hurt and I ran downstairs and called 911."

Within minutes Townz said police and first responders swarmed her apartment. 

"Police came up here, and they saw the gun shell in her bed and then today I saw how it didn't hit her all the way because it hit the bed first and then her," Townz said.

While the Ocala mother said she is relieved she said her daughter is traumatized.

"I was hugging her and holding her, making sure she was alright," Townz said.

Townz said her family will be staying with relatives and said their apartment management has allowed them to break their release as a result of this incident. 

Townz set up a GoFundMe account to help find a safe home for her and her kids.

Ocala police said they do not have any leads or suspects in this shooting.


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