5-year-old boy shot in the Bronx

ALLERTON, Bronx (WABC) -- A 5-year-old boy is in recovering Friday after being hit by a stray bullet in the Bronx Thursday night.

The shooting happened around 10 p.m. in the Allerton section.

5-year-old Adonte Peartree had no idea what was about to happen as he rode his scooter out of the corner store.

His mother, Maritza Santana, was right behind him. Seconds later, everyone scattered as bullets started to fly from every direction.

"It was so close, I literally heard the bullets hitting the floor and everywhere, we were really lucky," Santana said.

Adonte and his mom were heading home, they live just a block away from the store. Santana says when they exited the bodega just after 10 last night, everything was fine. Seconds later, there was gunfire, and little Adonte's screams.

"I heard him crying and ran to grab him and I ran inside a gate and he said 'Mom, I have a boo boo'," Santana said.

This was the only safe place Santana could find. She hid behind a car as Adonte told her his leg was hurting, blood was pouring from his calf.

"I ran down the block, seen him there and carried him to the ambulance, oh man," said Mike Peartree, Adonte's father.

Peartree thought his son was going to die right in his arms.

Thomas Marin was also caught in the crossfire and a bullet also passed through his leg.

"I just got out with cookies and pow, pow, pow, pow, that's it!" Marin said.

Police say the violence stemmed from a fight between two rival gangs that unfolded several days ago. This is all too much for Adonte to understand, he is just an innocent little boy who thought he was safe with his mom.

"He's just thinking about his toys, but he knows what happened, and I really don't want him to think about what happened," Santana said.

So far, no arrests have been made.

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new york city, bronx, child shot, shooting, new york news, kemberly richardson

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