EASTON, MASS. (WHDH) - The mother and aunt of the 16-year-old girl who was shot outside an Easton apartment last month spoke exclusively with 7NEWS.
The two shielded their identities in fear of their safety.
“The bullet went into her mouth, knocking out 10 plus teeth,” said her mother. “Her gums, and [the bullet] ultimately lodged in the back of her throat.”
“Coming [in] broad daylight, that’s bold,” said the girl’s aunt. “That’s egregious. You what? What are you thinking? I can’t wrap my head around it still.”
It happened January 14. The women say the teen was selling a jacket on social media and was lured outside to meet the buyer and make the deal.
“She saw everyone was wearing masks,” said her mother. “So she immediately tried to leave… They just ran down to her, circled around her, they all had guns… She tried to get away but they hit her with the gun and that’s when they shot her.”
Her mother, sharing a text she got from her daughter just after the attack.
It read, “I got shot, I need help.”
“The thought that they could have killed her is like… I can’t get that out of my head,” said the girl’s aunt, crying.
Police say those responsible took off from the scene and dumped the car in a Mansfield neighborhood.
Authorities have since arrested Anthony Lopes, 18, and Xavion Barnes, 19, both of Brockton, in connection to the crime. The victim’s loved ones say she doesn’t know either of them.
“Honestly this has been a long road of different things with different young men. They’ve been threatening my daughter for a long time or trying to fight her at school. She’s been targeted because of the way she dresses or how she carries herself. They call her names,” said her mother.
After weeks in the hospital, the teen is finally home, but her mom says the road to recovery is long. As the case works its way through the justice system, the women are just relieved they’re beloved 16-year-old survived.
“This could’ve been anyone’s kid,” said the girl’s aunt. “It could have ended or turned out much differently. And again, we’re really grateful and blessed she’s still here with us.”
The women say a third person was also involved in the attack, which none of them could have pulled through without their faith.
“I’m just leaving it in the hands of God, honestly,” said the girl’s aunt. “We put our trust in him. I know they’ll eventually find that third person.”
The family started a GoFundMe to help support the girl’s recovery process.
The family says they are in the process of moving, as this is not only a physical recovery, but a mental one as well.
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