WEST VALLEY CITY -- A stray bullet narrowly missed a 7-year-old West Valley City girl as she slept Thursday, and her mother, Tiffny Jensen, said she's had enough and is going to move after what police are now calling a gang-related shooting.
"I had just put my children to bed," Jensen said.
That was Thursday night. Around 9:40 p.m., gunshots rang out just feet from Jensen’s apartment.
"Scary and terrifying," she said. "I looked out my daughter's window, and as I approached the window, I noticed the blinds were askew. She was sleeping in her bed which is right under the window.”
A bullet shot right over the girl.
"It went into the window, across the room and into the closet and went through her bike helmet, which was sitting on the closet shelf," Jensen said.
On Friday, West Valley Police said the incident started when two men made gang-related comments to a 19-year-old and his friend outside the Valley Fair Mall, then followed the two on foot to Jensen's neighborhood where the argument escalated and the 19 year old was shot in the leg.
"There's a lot of innocent people affected, not even just me but my neighbors, there were a lot of children outside that saw the person who was shot,” Jensen said. "People who are doing these crimes don't realize that there are a lot of victims affected by it afterwards. Obviously my daughters are scared to death now to be in rooms or sleep near windows."
While Jensen’s 7 year old wasn't hurt, it's left an emotional scar.
"My lease is up in a couple months, and I've decided already to move out of the area," she said. "It could've been completely fatal for us. Instead of waking up today to a little girl, I could've been going to make funeral arrangements somewhere."
The 19 year old who was shot in the leg was hospitalized and is expected to recover. Meanwhile, police are still looking for two Hispanic males in their 20s.
Cops were initially told the two took off in a black four-door Honda, but police told FOX 13 News on Friday they now believe the suspects were not in a vehicle and left on foot. West Valley Police are asking for the public's help to identify them.
