Boy, 8, shot in leg as gunman attacks Moruga home

AN eight-year-old boy is in stable but serious condition after he was shot in his right leg during an attack on his family’s Moruga home on Wednesday night.

A masked man fired several shots at the house in Fifth Company Village where the boy lives with his mother and two-year-old brother who both escaped unharmed. A bullet fractured his bones and punctured an artery.

Newsday has decided not to identify the boy as he’s a minor.

He has since undergone two surgeries at hospital.

The standard two student was eating a bowl of cereal at a table when the incident happened at about 10 pm.

The younger child was sleeping on a bed while their mother was cooking when a man entered the yard and started shooting at the house. The bullets went through a glass louvre window and the front door.

Investigators have not yet ascertained a motive for the shooting, but recovered over ten spent shells inside the house.

Police said there were also bullet holes in the walls inside.

The boys’ aunt, who lives next door, told Newsday she was inside her home when she heard the gunshots.

“After I heard the gunshots, I heard my sister and my nephews screaming. I ran across to their house and saw my sister with a sheet over (the boy) on the ground. He was covered in blood. He was screaming out in pain and crying.”

The woman said she started crying when she saw the amount of blood flowing from her nephew’s leg. She also checked on her two-year-old nephew.

“I was relieved that (the younger boy) was not harmed nor my sister, but I knew we had to act quickly to get (the one who was shot) to the hospital.”

With the assistance of another relative and a neighbour, they put the wounded child in a car and took him to the Princes Town Health Facility.

“I really thought we were going to lose him at that moment. It was so scary seeing him going in and out of consciousness.”

The tearful woman said her nephew kept looking at the wound and saying he was shot.

“It was as if he was going into a state of shock and panic. He told me to tell his mother that he loves her. I kept talking to him. I told him ‘baby everything is going to be okay.’”

The aunt said she could not understand why anyone would want to harm her sister and nephews.

“Judging from the many bullet holes in the house, this man wanted to kill my sister and two nephews. God really protected them. I don’t know what this place is coming to. It is scary.”

She said her nephew lost a tremendous amount of blood.

“He had two successful operations at the hospital and doctors are monitoring him. We are praying for the best and I want to ask everyone to also keep him in your prayers.

Residents also told police they saw the shooter enter a waiting Nissan Tiida which sped off.

Up to Thursday, no arrest has been made. Moruga police are investigating.