The 12-year-old was seriously wounded near a Westchester Square park and was not believed to be the intended target.
NEW YORK CITY, NY — Police are searching for two suspects after a 12-year-old girl was shot twice near a park in the Bronx, leaving her seriously injured as investigators examine whether the gunfire may have been connected to a gang dispute.
The shooting happened around 8:30 p.m. Monday near Pearly Gates Park on Tratman Avenue in the Westchester Square section of the Bronx. Police said the girl suffered gunshot wounds to her torso and right foot. She was taken to Montefiore Hospital and was reported in stable condition after receiving treatment. Authorities said she was not believed to have been the intended target.
Witnesses described two young males dressed in black running from the area after the shooting, according to police sources cited by local news organizations. Surveillance video from a nearby home also appeared to show flashes from gunfire and people running from the scene. No arrests had been announced as of early Wednesday.
Investigators recovered seven shell casings at the scene, according to police sources. Officers spent hours examining the area around the park and nearby buildings as they worked to determine where the shots came from and who was involved. The park reopened Tuesday after investigators completed their initial work at the scene.
Police have not publicly established a motive. Investigators were examining whether the shooting could be connected to an ongoing gang dispute, according to sources familiar with the investigation, but authorities had not confirmed that theory. It also remained unclear who the intended target may have been or whether more than one person fired a weapon.
The girl’s family said she was recovering after undergoing surgery. Her sister, Miral Alamouri, told CBS News New York that the girl called her after she had been shot. “I was so shocked. That’s not something you ever expect to get a call about,” Alamouri said. The family said the girl was improving but was still speaking little because of her injuries.
Family members said doctors removed a bullet from the girl’s abdomen and that she was expected to need another procedure for an injury to her foot. Police initially described her condition as serious, while later reports said she was stable and expected to survive.
The shooting drew concern from people who use the Westchester Square park. Sabina Harwoon, who spoke with CBS News New York after the park reopened, said the violence left her worried about safety in the neighborhood. Another park visitor, Farzana Baksh, described hearing that such a young child had been struck as heartbreaking.
Accounts from investigators and witnesses indicate the girl was caught in gunfire while near the park, but police have not released a complete sequence of events. Some reports described the incident as possible crossfire, while authorities continued working to establish exactly how the shooting unfolded. The identities of the people being sought had not been released.
The investigation remained active Wednesday. Police were continuing to seek information about the two suspects and the circumstances surrounding the gunfire. No arrests had been announced, and authorities had not released a confirmed motive.
Author note: Last updated October 14, 2026.