A woman was shot several times after confronting a group of people who were illegally setting off fireworks near a playground.
The incident occurred in Brooklyn, New York City, where 33-year-old Shatavia Walls approached a group of people to ask them if they could stop the use of fireworks close to the area where children were playing on July 4.
After Walls approached and talked to the group, they had allegedly started chasing Walls and shot at her several times before she reached the safety of her mother’s home where she was staying at the time.
The 33-year-old also managed to pick up the driving license of the group member who had shot at her before fleeing the scene.
Following the confrontation, Walls called the police and provided them with details about the shooting and with the information she had gathered from the suspect’s ID.
Three days later, however, a group of people once again gathered near the playground located outside the home of Shatavia’s mother and started setting off fireworks.
After the 33-year-old confronted the group, one of the members allegedly went to fetch his friend who had previously shot at her and missed.
“He was chasing her, hopping over the gates, shooting… He walked over. She was on the ground shot. And he kept shooting until the gun went ‘click, click, click,’” Helen Testagros, the victim’s mother, said in an interview with the New York Post.
According to the reports, Walls was shot a total of eight times. Kelvin Hernandez, the person who accompanied her, also got shot.
Before succumbing to her injuries at the hospital three days later, Walls was allegedly able to identify the gunman who fired several shots at her and her companion.
Speaking of the incident, mum Helen explained her daughter probably refused to call the police about the issue due to hearing in the news that illegal display of fireworks is a “non-violent act.”
According to what Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams previously suggested, people should “go talk to the young people or the people on your block who are using fireworks” rather than call the police when it comes to the issue of illegal fireworks displays.
“It’s not a good idea. You don’t know who you are approaching. These kids are not respectful anymore. … They’re more ruthless,” Testagros added.
As of this writing, Shatavia’s murderer is yet to be formally identified and charged.
Replaced!