Community outrage after one-year-old girl shot inside South Bend home

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- A one-year-old girl was struck by gunfire late Tuesday night while inside a home on South Bend’s northwest side. The shooting happened just before 11 p.m. on Johnson Street, near Marquette Montessori Academy.

ABC57’s Jackie Bauer visited the scene and spoke with shocked neighbors Wednesday afternoon.

Some residents told ABC57 they heard up to nine gunshots that night. Fred Kelley, who lives just down the street, said he didn’t find out about the shooting until the next morning.

“It’s just like why. Why?” said Kelley. “To wake up and hear something like this is tragic. Especially around here in this area, it’s really shocking,” he added.

Police say someone driving by opened fire, and bullets struck the house, hitting the one-year-old baby girl inside. Several other people were in the home at the time, but no other injuries have been reported.

In an update on Wednesday, South Bend Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski said the child’s injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

“It looks like the injuries will be survivable,” said Chief Ruszkowski. “But you have a one-year-old that got shot. The one-year-old is not going to know this happened, but eventually will,” he added

The chief and other community leaders expressed shared their frustrations, again after the city has already seen similar incidents involving a 12-year-old and an eight-year-old this summer.

“It’s the same question. When is that line going to be drawn where we say we’ve had enough,” said the Chief.

South Bend Common Council member Canneth Lee also called on the community to say something when they see something.

“We have to say again and again that enough is enough, but there are people who know who did it,” said Lee.

Authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward.

“This is where I say it’s imperative that family and friends intervene before these acts happen,” he said.

Local activist Lynn Coleman, founder of Let’s Turn It Around,” says something has to change before the next senseless act of violence.

“It has to stop. If not, we’ll continue to see young kids going to the hospital or innocent people getting hit. Not because of what they’ve done, but because of where they were,” said Coleman.

Investigators say they are making progress and believe the shooting was an isolated incident. They continue to ask the public to come forward with any tips that could help move the case forward.

Anyone with information should contact the South Bend Police Department or leave an anonymous tip with Michiana Crime Stoppers.