An 84-year-old woman sitting in her walker in Brooklyn became the latest victim of gun violence in the city, getting caught in the crossfire outside her home.
Family members told NBC New York that Althea Lawson was recovering at the hospital Tuesday from the gunshot wound she suffered on her left forearm around 7 p.m. Monday. Video showed the frantic moments after gunfire broke out on the East Flatbush street corner, near the Flatbush Gardens apartment complex.
Immediately after the shooting, a neighbor said he raced to help Lawson.
"She was not panicking. She was in good spirits, actually joking, saying, 'They shot me, they shot me,'" said the neighbor, who did not wish to be identified.
He said he worked quickly to stop the bleeding moments after the bullet tore into Lawson's arm, tying a T-shirt into a knot to help control the loss of blood.
The victim's older sister said Lawson will be OK, and she enjoys being outside, especially during this time of year.
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"She’s sickly, she can hardly walk. She has blood clots on both her legs," said Enid Lawson. "Loves to make jokes, loves to go to church, loves to go to anywhere."
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It is unclear what led to the shooting, but witnesses said it was possibly a gunfight between two different groups of men. Detectives found up to 20 shell casings spread across the street while looking for surveillance video that can help find the shooter.
Others in the neighborhood told NBC New York they are mostly concerned about possible retaliation since witnesses said it may have been an altercation between two groups which started the shooting.
