Witness describes brazen shooting that injured woman, 8-year-old girl near Vallejo church
VALLEJO, Cali. (KGO) -- A woman and a young girl is critically injured this afternoon after a brazen shooting in Vallejo that a witness says started with fireworks, and left a local church riddled with bullets.
"He parked in middle of the street. He got out of the car and he lit some fireworks."
That's how one man, who does not want to be identified, described what happened Wednesday night just after 10:30 p.m., when he was near Vallejo's Evangelist Temple Fellowship Center. Suddenly, he said a tan colored sedan pulled up and at least one man took aim at group of people.
"And right after the fireworks, he grabbed a handgun and started shooting at the corner," said the witness. "He tried to avoid the gunshots with the fireworks. Like a distraction."
RELATED: Gunshots or fireworks: Here's how to tell the difference
Among those hit by the gunfire, a 30-year-old woman and 8-year-old girl who were inside this car. Both were struck by at least one bullet, with the woman in critical condition and the young girl in stable condition at a local hospital. Vallejo police would not say if the two are mother and daughter.
"They were inside a vehicle," said Chief Shawny Williams. "They were riding in a car and that child was shot, with the woman inside the car. It's a needless act of violence against a child and it's intolerable. Our community needs to stand up."
VIDEO: Child, woman found shot in car in Vallejo, police say
By the light of day, the stucco exterior of the church building itself has at least a dozen bullet holes in it.
Two of those rounds went through a side window. The pastor told us, he's grateful, no one was here inside the church at the time of the shooting."
"I'm grateful no one was here," said Evangelist Temple Pastor Frederick Stewart, "and I'm also grateful the rounds are so high up, even if someone were here, they wouldn't have been hit."
RELATED: 63% of Californians say gun laws should be stricter, concerns over mass shootings vary, poll shows
"It's very heartbreaking to see our church shot up like the way it is here in South Vallejo," said parishioner Freddie Blair as she looked at the many bullet holes.
Ahmad Malik and his young family lives just up the street.
"Something has to change," said Malik as he and his partner walked with their two young children. "Something has to definitely change for me, my family, my kids. But you know it's going to take more than me talking, or worrying about it, for things to change."
RELATED: California homicides jump 31% in 2020, most in 13 years
"It's scary, you never know what's going to happen," said Dariyan Gaddis, "but we just have to try to protect our little ones, ourselves."
Anyone with information is asked to contact Vallejo police.
