The new year started on a terrifying note for a family in Northwest Fort Worth.
A man says he was outside his home just before midnight when a stray bullet suddenly struck him in the leg.
Federico Perez spoke with Telemundo 39 and NBC 5 after being released from the hospital. Part of his left leg is bandaged, and he is using a crutch to get around after being shot overnight.
He says about eight people, including children, were outside his house along Hanna Avenue late Sunday night celebrating New Year’s Eve.
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He remembers counting down the final minute of 2023 and beginning to hear the familiar sound of so-called celebratory gunfire nearby.
Perez was standing near his carport when he felt a sudden pain and realized he was bleeding. Fort Worth Police rushed to the scene to investigate a reported stray bullet incident.
Detectives spent Monday investigating whether the situation was indeed a stray bullet and, if so, from where.
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Between 7 p.m. and 4 a.m., there were more than 55 calls made to 911 reporting ‘shots fired in the area,’ according to FWPD. No other injuries have been reported.
Perez told NBC 5 he is glad the bullet did not hit his head or his 9-year-old niece, who was standing nearby.
The shooting investigation is still ongoing.
