ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — A woman comforted her 9-year-old daughter who wore a cast on her arm on Thursday.
Adelina Gines told 5 On Your Side her daughter has not spoken much since bullets came flying through her home on Wiethaupt Road before 10:50 p.m. on Wednesday and hit the little girl's bedroom.
Gines' husband secured the house and then went up the stairs to find the child hurt while she was at work.
"There's no words to describe getting a phone call and hearing that your child was asleep. Waking up out of their sleep, and there’s blood. It was a massacre in her room,” Gines said.
The family's Ring camera captured three cars passing by headed to Patterson Road and the noise from the multiple shots fired her family’s way.
“They need more mediation. They need more guidance. Because I guarantee you, they were young,” she added.
Gines lived in her home in unincorporated St. Louis County since 2011.
She moved away from the city for peace.
The mother expressed how preventing crime should start with neighbors supporting one another and that there should be resources for the people committing the crimes.
“Even as parents, we don't reach out to each other. You know back then everybody in the neighborhood had each other number. They had cookouts. Sometimes we need to get back to the basics,” she said.
Gines' daughter's life was spared but now she is hoping to spark change.
St. Louis County police haven't released a description of the vehicles or of any suspects at this time.
Anyone with information can report it to CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS and remain anonymous.
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Resources for crime victims:
If you have been a victim of a crime or know someone who has been, 5 On Your Side has compiled a list of resources.
Better Family Life is a nonprofit community development organization working to "stabilize inner-city neighborhoods." One aspect of its mission is a gun violence de-escalation program.
Life Outside of Violence "helps those harmed by stabbing, gunshot or assault receive the treatment, support and resources they need to find alternatives to end the cycle of violence."
The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has an anti-crime program called “Safety Net for Youth Initiative,” which is a joint partnership with St. Louis Public Schools to provide services to at-risk youth.
Cure Violence is an international organization that has recently launched in a handful of St. Louis neighborhoods. Violence interrupters are trained to deescalate violent situations within their own communities.