Girl, 10, threw herself into baby brother during gun battle: 'I would rather be shot than him'
05/10/2018 1:44 pm PDT
via WITI
LAS VEGAS -- (WITI) -- A mother and her 10-year-old daughter were recovering after police said two men opened fire in a “gun battle” on each other Tuesday afternoon, May 8.
Stray bullets hit both the mom and daughter. They said they're thankful to be alive.
The family was packing up their car after a shopping trip at Walmart. The mother, Samantha Tygrit, said the kids were in the back of the car when the gunshots started.
Tygrit was hit in the shoulder, but ran to the back to protect her kids. She said her daughter, Aaliyah Inghram, 10, threw herself on top of her 18-month-old brother and cousin to shield them from the bullets. In the process, Aaliyah was hit in the behind.
“I pulled my 4-year-old out, threw her on the ground and held her down, and before I had a chance to get my 10-year-old and my 18-month-old, my 10-year-old looked at me and said she'd already been shot,” Tygrit said.
“I didn't want the baby to get hurt, so I like, stepped in front of the babies. If I wouldn't have stood in front of my brother, he would have been shot in the stomach,” Aaliyah said.
“I died inside. I just scooped her up in my arms. I'd been shot, but I just picked her up and grabbed her sister,” Tygrit explained.
Aaliyah said it felt like she'd been hit really hard, but she didn't realize she'd been shot until she saw the blood.
“I fainted one time, and all I remember is something wet and cold because they splashed water on me,” Aaliyah said.
“She started passing out and I'd never been so scared in my life,” Tygrit said.
Thankfully, both mom and daughter were OK.
“She saved her brother's life yesterday, and my nephew's, 'cause they were both there, and her little body could only shield so much. But she threw herself in front of them,” Tygrit said.
FULL STORY: Girl, 10, threw herself into baby brother during gun battle: 'I would rather be shot than him' - WITI