Chattanooga police officers investigate after a 4-year-old child was reportedly shot on Youngstown Rd.Two 4-year-old girls were wounded in a drive-by shooting this afternoon, according to Chattanooga police.
Neither child was injured seriously and both are expected to survive, police said.
The girls, who are not sisters, were playing outside a duplex on the 3800 block of Youngstown Road when a vehicle pulled up around 1 p.m. and opened fire.
At this time it’s unclear how the kids were wounded, Chief Fred Fletcher said. They could have been shot or could have been struck by shrapnel.
The girls were taken to the hospital by family and friends.
Fletcher said there’s a good indication the shooting is gang-related.
“This could have been horrifically tragic,” he said, adding later, “Someone could have killed a 4-year-old.”
Police said a known gang member is associated with half of the duplex where the shooting happened. That individual could be the intended target, but police have not confirmed that.
Witnesses described the vehicle both as a black sedan and a white truck. Officials are working to determine which is correct and expect to ask for the public’s help to track down the suspects.
Neighbors say the street is usually quiet.
This is a developing story. Stay with the Times Free Press for more details.