DETROIT (WXYZ) — A 12-year-old boy may permanently lose 50% of his eyesight after being shot in the face with a BB gun at a Detroit park.
Watch the video report below:
The incident happened Friday round 6:30 p.m. at Simmons Park on Detroit's west side, where Dashawn Mays was playing basketball with friends when he was struck in the eye by a BB.
"I looked back, all I know pow, I get hit in the head," Dashawn said.
The shot came out of nowhere as the boy was preparing to leave the neighborhood park on his bike.
"I start asking people if I was bleeding, I started to touch my eye and realize blood was on my hand and I was screaming," Dashawn said.
Dashawn quickly rushed home to his mom, Ashley Patrick, who called police, unaware that the BB was lodged in his eyeball.
"The EMS came here and they rushed him to the emergency room, but when they found out the bullet was still in his eye, that's when he got rushed to Royal Oak for immediate surgery," Patrick said.
Surgery removed the BB, but doctors told the family Dashawn may never see again in his left eye.
"I didn't know what I did to deserve that," Dashawn said when asked about the incident.
His mother responded, "You didn't do nothing, you didn't do anything, you were just an innocent boy playing at the park."
Patrick says it was a teenage bully at the park who was playing around with the BB gun and shot at her son. She emphasized this is no joke and hopes the boy is caught and charges are brought before someone else gets hurt.
"You messed my baby up. My baby might not be able to see again because of you, whoever you are. He may not be able to see again," Patrick said.
Detroit police say they are investigating this incident and are looking for the suspect. Anyone with information should call Detroit police or report anonymously at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.
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