Cousins, 9 and 11, speak out after Ocean Hill playground shooting
OCEAN HILL, Brooklyn (WABC) -- Two young cousins who were shot at a Brooklyn playground are recovering on Tuesday and speaking out about the scary experience.
The girls were caught in the middle of gunfire at the Hilltop Playground minutes after 9 p.m. Monday on Dean and Thomas Boyland streets.
Ruanna Brown, 9, was shot in the leg, and her 11-year-old cousin, Empress Alexander Davis, was shot in the back.
"I could feel my shoulder, and then my cousin was screaming about a leg or a knee," Empress said.
The bullet went through Ruanna's knee but thankfully her bone wasn't broken.
"I'm feeling OK, I was a little nervous so I didn't talk too much but the doctors were trying to make me talk a lot so I wouldn't fall asleep, so I didn't really have a lot to say, but they were asking me questions about my summer," Ruanna said.
Empress remains hospitalized but is expected to to be going home soon and is looking forward to returning to life as a normal kid.
Empress' mother was sitting on a park bench watching the girls play when the gunfire rang out. The playground is right across the street from her home.
Ruanna's mother says her daughter woke up all night, afraid she was alone.
"My heart fell out of my chest to hear my daughter was shot. First thing I thought was lord take my life and not hers," said Melissa Alexander, Ruanna's mother. "I'm lost for words. I'm devastated. I'm hurt. I cried all night, all morning. I just want my baby to be safe."
Police are looking for two men and say at least six shots were fired from two different firearms. Investigators say the girls were not the intended targets and they're now searching for the two men responsible for pulling the trigger at the park.
Ruanna's mother has this to say to the gunmen: "Get a life. There's so much more constructive things to do. You're putting children's lives at stake. Innocent children. I'm sure you have someone that looks up to you and you are letting them down."
Empress' mom says she is heartbroken that kids are the victims of senseless violence.
In the 73rd Precinct, the number of shooting victims this year as compared with last year has shot up 76%.
Murders in this neighborhood are also up - 266% compared with this time last year.
"We have the greatest detectives on the globe and we are very confident we are going to bring this case to a close soon," said NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughty.
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