A 26-year-old woman is in critical condition after she was shot in Hartford on Wednesday evening, according to police.
It happened around 6:30 p.m. at 697 Windsor Street, near a park where neighbors say children were playing.
"I just heard five shots and my kids were over at the park playing. I drove down to the park to see what was going on, and as I pulled up on the scene, a... girl was bleeding heavily from the neck area. I just witnessed her take her sweater off and try to stop the bleeding by herself," said Shani Richardson.
It's not clear what exactly led up to the shooting, but police said the woman may have been caught in the crossfire.
"It seems there was some sort of dispute before the shots were fired," said Hartford police Lt. Brandon O'Brien. "We don't think the victim was part of that dispute."
Bullets also ricocheted off a nearby car. Police said they have yet to identify a suspect.
"I seen boys running, cars spinning off, but I didn't see anything," said Dawn McGee, who has lived in the area for 22 years. "I wish I had; I wish I was able to get a license plate and faces."
Richardson, who has children of her own, said the shooting "terrified" her made her fear for the safety of her kids.
"I have five children and we live on the streets of Hartford, and this is something that's very common now," she explained. "I just told them they're going to take a break from over here. I'm very terrified just to let them go to the park."
The woman, who has not been publicly identified, is listed in critical condition at St. Francis Hospital, according to police.
"I was trying to coach her as she was holding her neck," Richardson said. "I was trying to make sure she was still alert. She wasn't responding with words; she was responding with nods."
Check back for updates on this developing story.
