Baby born with bullet wound after mother shot during road rage incident, police say
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — An infant delivered over the weekend after the mother was shot during an apparent road rage incident along a Tennessee highway also sustained a bullet wound, police documents reveal.
The boyfriend of the 19-year-old victim, who was 36 weeks pregnant when she was shot, told detectives he was traveling westbound on I-40 near the North Hollywood exit when a dark-colored Chevrolet Impala with three men inside began riding his bumper, according to WREG. The victims tried to get away from the vehicle, but to no avail.
He says the driver pulled up next to his vehicle and started firing several rounds into the SUV.
His girlfriend was hit three times in her right hip.
Initially she was taken to Methodist North in Memphis, where police say they discovered the vehicle with bullet holes, blood and broken windows.
From there, the teen was brought to Regional One and went into surgery for the bullet wounds and to deliver her baby.
After she gave birth, doctors discovered the newborn had been shot too.
Native Memphian and mother Taura Lewis told WREG that news of the shooting makes her uneasy. “Since I got a child out here, I’m nervous too,” she said. “I don’t even want to be out in public anywhere since it’s so dangerous.”
Police have not said if they believe the vehicle was a premeditated target.
Officers say whoever is responsible was driving a dark colored Chevy Impala and they do believe other people were driving in the area when the shooting happened.
This is the second shooting off I-40 in the same area in recent days. Last week, a man told police he was driving near the Chelsea exit when two cars pulled up and sprayed his car with bullets.
Police have not said if they believe these two shootings are connected, and are asking anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers 901-528-CASH.