BERKELEY, Calif. -- Two little girls were recovering from gunshot wounds and a neighborhood was still in shock Monday after the children were shot while sleeping in their home over the weekend, authorities said.
Berkeley Police Sgt. Mary Kusmiss said the drive-by shooting at 4:55 a.m. Sunday did not appear to be random.
“The shooting does not appear to be random,” she told KTVU. “We think it's wretched that the little ones were caught up in the violence.”
Patrol officers responding to a 911 call discovered a bullet-riddled home in the 1500 block of Oregon Street. Bullet holes pocked the wooden siding and a window was shot out.
Shortly after the shooting, a staff member from a nearby hospital's emergency room called the Police Department to report they had just received two shooting victims - a 3-year-old girl and a 6-year-old girl.
Their injuries were not considered to be life threatening.
Neighbor Eddie Witalla said he dove for the floor in his home when he heard the shots.
“I was going to hide because the sound,” he said. “It was right in front of our house…I thought it was fireworks.”
Police were asking for the community's help, and anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call (510) 981-5741. Those wishing to remain anonymous may call (800) 222-TIPS.
