Neighbors react to 12-year-old shot in South Bend

A 12-year-old is recovering at Memorial Hospital in South Bend after being shot on the city's northwest side. Police are now asking neighbors to help track down a suspect but those neighbors are afraid to speak up. One neighbor, though, is stepping up to weigh in on how they feel about what happened.

“Alarmed. You know that’s not typical of this neighborhood,” said Marda Rushing, a resident of South Bend.

Scared. Alarmed. Shaken. These are the words neighbors are using to describe their reaction – after finding out a 12 year old boy had been shot on Fassnacht Avenue in South Bend late Wednesday night while he was celebrating with fireworks for the 4th of July. Luckily, police say, even after being shot in the abdomen and undergoing surgery, he’ll recover.

“I don’t know how you explain to a child how that could happen,” said Rushing.

Rushing has lived in this neighborhood for 10 years and right around the corner from where it happened. Police say 2 vehicles pulled up while the kid was outside and someone in one of the cars started shooting.

“Full of hate and have no.. they don’t have any respect for the value of life. It may get to the point where people can’t’ do things like fireworks,” said Rushing.

Police don’t have any suspect information and they’re still trying to find a motive.

Rushing says no excuse in the world could be good enough for what happened last night.

“Especially when it’s a child, it’s so terrible. And they can say that he accidentally shot him but, you know, if he hadn’t shot, he wouldn’t have hit,” said Rushing.

Police are asking for the public’s help in finding a suspect or gathering suspect information so if you have anything at all, you are asked to call South Bend Police.