Family: Teen shot by random gunfire

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - A Mobile family said they happy to have their teenager home safe and sound after a close call Saturday, January 26.

Sherri Lockette said her 16-year-old daughter happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time when she was shot while sitting in the passenger seat of a car.

Lockette said her daughter and her older sister attended a high-school party on Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, hosted by the The Young Men of The Imperial Knights' Service Club. She said her daughters left the party without a problem, but that changed when they got inside the car.

"While they were in traffic, they heard gun shots and my daughter heard the shot come through the car and she got hit in her right hip. She jumped to the back seat and she says she felt a hot sting," said Lockette.

Lockette said the two girls began driving to Mobile Infirmary Medical Center and called her on the way there. When Lockette arrived, she said she was eventually told her daughter was going to be okay. Lockette said doctors did not remove the bullet, and it's for her daughter's own good.

“They said either two inches to the right or left it could have hit her intestines and made her septic, which would have really gotten sick and made the case way worse than what it was,” said Lockette.  

Lckette said she does not blame the party’s hosts for the incident.

"I don't think that they could have done anything better because the security was really tight, from my understanding. They didn't let people in who didn't look the part. The incident happened outside, so it could have been anybody,” said Lockette.

FOX10 News spoke to the Imperial Knights Advisor Cleophus Smith, Jr. He said members are aware of the incident and have reached out to the victim. Smith said security is a priority at its events.

“We have a committee of parents, and the parents are at every little post as far as the activity. Then we also have sheriffs on the inside, and we also have sheriffs on the outside,” Smith, Jr. said.

Smith said even though the incident didn’t happen inside the event, the organization intends on tightening up security.

“We are actually going to upgrade more. We are actually going to have tickets sales only. We are not even going to let people pay at the door anymore,” said Smith.

The Mobile Police Department is investigating the incident.

"We do know that there were a number of people out in area at the time, and hopefully somebody will have some information and they can call and share with the police,” said Mobile Police Department Cpl. Chris Levy.