SALT LAKE CITY — A parent's worst nightmare became a reality for a Salt Lake City family Saturday night when their 9-year-old daughter was just inches away from being hit by a bullet that came in through her bedroom window.
John Wilson, the girl's father, showed FOX 13 around their home near 200 East and 1300 South.
The bullet hole was clearly visible on the back window of the home, and while the girl was uninjured, her Pooh Bear stuffed animal had a bullet hole in its head.
“It went through the window there and went through Winnie the Pooh’s head, and then it lodged in the wall just inches away from where her head was,” Wilson said.
Based on the angle of the shot, it appears that it came from a nearby school field behind Wilson's home.
“The police did tell us they found shell casings [at the school]. We haven’t found out how many or any more details on that. This is not something that could randomly happen,” he said. “Someone had to go to that specific spot and shoot this specific direction to be able to hit this.”
That's part of why he feels this attack was most likely targeted. The other reason is what happened earlier that night.
Wilson explained how a car heading to a nearby store parked in front of his driveway, and he asked them to move.
“They basically just swore at me and told me what I could do with myself, and I just turned back in the house,” he said.
Around half an hour later, he says eight shots rang out.
“Four gun shots, and pause, and then four more," he said.
But this isn’t an isolated incident, Wilson explained. He says many people go to the corner store and often cause trouble.
“We see a lot of drug dealing going on outside the store," he said. "All the neighbors have seen it — we’ve actually video taped them.”
Police have also gotten involved before.
“The police will show up two hours later, and by then those people are gone and they can't do anything," Wilson said.
In just the short time that FOX 13 was at Wilson's home, several people attempted to park in the area of the home. One group even pulled in front of his driveway.
Once they saw the cameras, they left quickly.
Wilson said his daughter is scared to go in the room now after the incident, but thankfully she is uninjured.
For Wilson, however, this is the latest thing to bother an otherwise quiet and peaceful Salt Lake City neighborhood.
“Couple years ago, this street was very quiet, very low-crime,” he said. “Now, it's like every single day there is something.”
