Juvenile injured in drive-by shooting in Cumberland County, police say

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- A juvenile was injured Friday morning in a drive-by shooting in Cumberland County.

Just after midnight, Fayetteville police and other crews were called to the 800 block of Danish Drive in Fayetteville for a reported shooting.

Upon arrival, units said they found a juvenile had been shot. The victim was taken to a trauma center in critical condition.

Heavy gunfire could be heard on neighbors' security cameras. The sound was loud enough to shake some of the Ring doorbell cameras that captured the moments a car drove away.

There were at least 20 shell casings scattered on the street.

FPD would not immediately confirm the age of the child but neighbors told ABC11 the victim was younger than 10. Police would not comment on the child's condition but did say the child was taken to a trauma center after life-saving measures were performed at the scene.

ABC11 learned Friday night that the father of the victim said his son was fighting for his life.

Residents said this was a terrible reminder of how pervasive gun violence is in the community.

"We have to get involved because you never know when this trouble is going to come knocking at your door," said Fon Dockery, an anti-gun-violence advocate.

Dockery knows the pain of gun violence well. His 8-year-old daughter, Jenesis, was shot and killed in August at a babysitter's home. "I get a little anxious, and I relive my phone call from that day," he added.

He said it distresses him to see children continue to be victimized by shootings.

"It impacts our community all the way down to the little children who are looking at their peers and kids their age and saying, 'They die and so fast.' So now you've got a community of children living in fear instead of living in the beautiful lives that they have," he said.

Dockery had words of advice for the parents of the child in this latest incident.

"There is support," he said. "There are people who want to listen and there are people who will listen that need to hear what they're going to say."

Cornelius Breazeale has lived on Danish Drive for more than four years. He said he didn't wake up at the time of the shooting, but his brother called him to tell him his house was on television.

"I go and peek out my window, the street was flooded with police and it was taped off, it's just a sad situation man," he said. "We are from Philadelphia and we moved away from Philadelphia to get away from this and to come here and have to experience it...it is frustrating.

"Way too many guns on the street as it is, people need to come together and look out for one another," Breazeale said.