The mother of a 4-year-old boy who was rushed to the hospital after he was injured in a shooting in Tamiami over the weekend is speaking out.
Hassell Oporta's son, Dylan Suarez, is still recovering after being hit by a stray bullet Saturday night.
"He's nervous, obviously, but he's doing better. He doesn't feel comfortable being here. He doesn't want to be anywhere near the closet," Oporta told NBC6 on Sunday. "He keeps telling me, 'mom, I don't want boom.'"
According to Miami-Dade Police, it was shortly after 8:45 p.m. when two adults were arguing in the area of the 1200 block of Southwest 127th Court.
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The incident escalated and one of them fired a gun, police said. One of the rounds struck and injured Suarez, who was inside an adjacent home.
"We were just sitting in his room, he was playing with his tablet, I heard the gunshot and the closet just exploded," Oporta said. "My son started to scream and touched where he had been hit. I have another daughter, who is also very nervous. She started crying and screaming."
After the shooting, the two people involved in the dispute fled in an unknown direction.
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Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded and transported the child in critical but stable condition to a nearby hospital.
"This should've never happened," Oporta said. "I was in my home. I wasn't at a party. I was home with my son about to go to sleep. A 4-year-old child should never be the victim of a crime like this. Never."
Bullet holes could be seen on the side of Oporta's home, and at least one window was left shattered by the gunfire.
No other details surrounding the shooting have been released, but police said it remains under investigation.
