Girl grazed inside home during police shootout in Asbury Park, mother speaks out

ASBURY PARK, N.J. (WABC) -- The mother of an 8-year-old girl, who was shot in the head during a police shootout, spoke exclusively to Eyewitness News about what happened to her daughter.

She talks about how the girl is doing, and how the family feels about an innocent bystander being caught in the middle of more gun violence.

"It happened so quick between her screaming and the pop," said Cassie Jones, the victim's mother.

Shattering through what should have been the safety of her Asbury Park home, a stray bullet narrowly missed 8-year-old Cassie Jones and her 6-year-old sister as they were watching a movie in their mother's bedroom Wednesday night.

"Cassie screams, 'Oh my God, ow, I've been shot," Jones said.

The girls' mother says adrenaline immediately took over when she heard the gunfire followed by her daughters screams. It wasn't until she dragged them into a nearby bathroom that she discovered Cassie had been grazed across her forehead just below the hairline leaving a large bloody gash.

"I didn't know if she had been hit anywhere else I didn't know what was really going on. I didn't know if the bullet went in, I didn't know anything, it was just scary," Jones said.

According to investigators, the gunfire was the result of a nearby shootout between police and a suspect now identified as 19-year-old Dante Allen.

At this point, it's not clear which gun the bullet that struck Cassie came from, but the little girl is lucky to be alive.

"I'm looking at her today like, oh my God, you're here, you're here," Jones said.

Now afraid to go back to the place they've called home, Cassie and her family are living in a nearby hotel, hoping help from others will enable them to move to a safer neighborhood.

"It's supposed to be safe there, but it's not, it's just not," Jones said.

The suspect is now facing several charges including attempted murder. He's being held on $1 million bail.