'The only thing I could do is pray': Lumberton family blessed to be alive after being shot 10 times

LUMBERTON, N.C. (WTVD) -- A Lumberton family considers themselves blessed after surviving being shot a total of 10 times back in May.

During the night of May 18, Walike Smith, his wife Latoya and his 2-year-old son were shot a total of 10 times while insider their Lumberton home.

"I woke up with a flash. A big white flash in front of my eyes. And when I woke up with that flash, I was hearing a lot of 'boom, boom, boom.' Which was gunshots. And not knowing that me, my wife and my son, our home was being attacked," Walike told ABC-affiliate WPDE.

Walike was shot "several times," including in the mouth. His wife was shot in the arm and leg and their 2-year-old son as hit in the leg.

"My arm was hanging. The only thing that was holding my arm was my meat, my skin and my muscle. And my bone was already shattered. My wife was just hollering and hollering," Wilke said.

He says the house was still being shot at while they ducked for cover on the floor.

"I was spitting out blood. And my arm was hanging off. And then I see my wife, she didn't even know she was shot in the leg," said Walike Smith.

"The only thing I could do is pray. That's the only thing I can remember doing is pray," said Latoya.

The family said it took police between eight to 10 minutes to get on scene to help them.

Latoya recounted when the first officer arrived on scene he couldn't believe his eyes, "The officer came in the room and looked. He got startled and stopped. Went back to the front door. Came back and had to get himself together."

Lumberton Police Captain Terry Parker said the Smiths were not the intended targets of the shooting. Parker believes the shooters were after a juvenile.

Since the shooting, the Smith family has had eight surgeries combined.

As for recovery, the Smiths said things are going well, including that of their 2-year-old son -- they say he has some trouble walking, but it gets better every day.

Corey McRae, a Lumberton businessman, was moved by the shooting and is stepping in to help. He's holding a benefit concert Saturday to help the family with medical expenses and other bills.

For more information, you can contact McRae at (843) 472-8496 or James McDuffie at (843) 862-1444.