Mother talks about toddler being shot by neighbor who was calling them names

DETROIT (WXYZ) - "He directly pointed the gun at the vehicle and shot it up", says Latina Edwards whose 3-year-old daughter was hit when a neighbor opened fire on them with a shotgun.

Edwards says it all began when the man, in his 20s, began calling her daughter, Amyria Parham, and another young girl offensive names.

"I told him don't talk to my daughter no more because he was calling her and her friend 'hos'. My daughter is 3 years old. She don't know what a ho is", said Edwards outside Children's Hospital in Detroit where her daughter is recovering.

When tensions escalated, Edwards says she tried to get away by jumping into a friend's van in hopes of driving away, but by then she says the man had retrieved a shotgun from one of his friends and he opened fire on the van.

"I'm her only protection", said Edwards. "I tried to get away but he shot up the vehicle that we was in and that's how she got shot".

Detroit Police are still searching for the shooter.

Anyone with any information is urged to call the Criminal Investigations Unit of the Detroit Police Department at (313)596-1340.

Edwards, who is five-months pregnant, does not plan to return to their neighborhood.