REDFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — A Redford husband and father is recovering after being shot during an attempted car theft in front of his home earlier this month.
Justin Newsome, 35, was preparing to leave for work around 2:40 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 5, when he spotted someone inside his SUV near Marion Street and Joy Road. When he confronted the person, telling them to get out of his car, he was shot in the leg.
Watch Randy Wimbley's video report below:
"'Get out my car' — that's basically what I was doing," Newsome said.
Those words were almost Newsome's last.
"They just took off running and I heard gunshots," Newsome said.
The gunshot shattered Newsome's femur, requiring surgery to replace it with a rod. He now faces a recovery period of three to six months.
His wife Alaina Newsome and mother-in-law Ira Marie Johnson witnessed the terrifying incident unfold.
"He's just screaming at us to help, to help him. He's telling us he was shot and I'm just screaming the whole time. My mom is like you have to calm down," Alaina Newsome said.
The suspects returned shortly after the initial shooting, firing at the house again. The family's 5-year-old daughter was awake during the incident and was found by police "in the corner shaking" in her bedroom.
"So my mom grabs my daughter takes her to the ground. I go into my son's room grab him take him to the ground," Alaina Newsome said.
Johnson attempted to rush Justin Newsome to the hospital in her car, but the vehicle had also been struck by gunfire.
"My car, I didn't know it had been shot. It never occurred to me. I got around the corner trying to get to the hospital and my hood just started started smoking so bad I thought it was on fire," Johnson said.
The shooting has left the entire family traumatized and struggling financially. Justin Newsome, who worked at an Amazon distribution center, is unable to work during his recovery, leaving the family with only one income. They have started a fundraiser to help cover medical costs and household expenses.
"He did so much and I think that maybe we, I mean we knew it and appreciated it, but I don't think we really realized how much he did every day until this happened," Johnson said.
According to the family, the suspects were 15 years old. Police initially caught two of the individuals a couple days after the shooting and later apprehended all of them, according to a detective who spoke with the family.
I reached out to Redford police for information on their investigation but have not heard back.
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