Rafael Cotto was in his room doing a crossword puzzle after midnight on Monday when the bullet struck him at a home on Southwest 6th Court near 10th Street.
An elderly man is lucky to be alive after a stray bullet struck him while he was inside his Florida City home.
Rafael Cotto was in his room doing a crossword puzzle after midnight on Monday when the bullet struck him at a home on Southwest 6th Court near 10th Street.
Watch NBC6 free wherever you are
WATCH HEREThe bullet went through a hurricane shutter, then a room door, and then ended up lodged in Cotto's shoulder.
Video from the scene Monday shows more than a dozen evidence markers, marking the amount of bullet casings left behind. Cotto's great-grandson was awake at the time of the shooting but at first thought it was the sound of dirt bikes in the neighborhood.
Get local news you need to know to start your day with NBC 6's News Headlines newsletter.
SIGN UP
"We all thought it was a dirt bike, whatever, we pass it on until he comes out the room screaming. My mom comes downstairs and then that, but yeah but we didn't expect it to be gunshots," Anthony de La Rosa said. "Everybody was confused, you know? Everybody's chilling, it's late at night, past 12, nobody's expecting one of your family members to get shot, you know?"
Florida City Police said several men were shooting at each other in the roadway and gunfire struck parked cars and homes.
Police added that they don't have suspect leads at this point, as no witnesses have come forward.
Local
The great-grandson said Cotto in stable condition and in good spirits. It's possible he may have to undergo surgery.
"They say it might be too risky because of his age," de La Rosa said.
