A woman was shot in the leg as she watched Fourth of July fireworks outside her brother's home, holding his one-year-old nephew in her lap.
April Johnson, 26, was sitting in a chair near the street at 216 NW 28 Avenue in central Broward just after 9 p.m. Thursday when she felt a sharp pain in her left leg, according to a Broward Sheriff's Office news release.
"I was looking around, thinking, 'Who threw something at me?'" she said.
Officials said Johnson looked down and saw blood coming from her upper left thigh. She was taken to Broward Health Medical Center where doctors confirmed she had a gunshot wound, the release said.
"It hurts," Johnson said. "There's a lot of pressure. The bullet's still in my thigh."
The infant was uninjured.
Deputies believe she was hit by a stray bullet caused by celebratory gunfire.
"People have to understand that when you fire guns in the air, those bullets are going to come down," said BSO spokeswoman Veda Coleman-Wright. "They could've easily been planning for her funeral today because of someone's reckless disregard for the safety of others."
Johnson was released from the hospital and told to schedule a follow-up visit with her doctor. She said she's staying away from celebrations involving fireworks in the future.
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"No more fireworks," she said. "I don't even like fireworks. I was just trying to be auntie and be social and sit by the road and it didn't work out for me."
Officials said there were no witnesses to the shooting. Anyone with information is urged to contact Broward Crime Stoppers anonymously at 954-493-TIPS (8477).
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