'I could have been standing over a body': Family of victim wants arrests made

A 13-year-old is recovering in the hospital after her family says she was shot in the leg twice by her friend. The family is now calling on the police to find the suspect before she’s released from the hospital.

The last 24 hours have been a whirlwind for the family of a 13-year-old girl who Cleveland police say was shot near East 79th Street Monday evening.

“I was just devastated,” said the 13-year-old's great-aunt.

The 13-year-old’s great-aunt didn’t want to share her name but wanted to share her plea for the gun violence to stop.

“I could have been standing over a body today,” she said. “But I thank the lord we’re not.”

She said her great-niece was with friends when someone in the group decided to pull out a gun. She said the teen has since undergone two surgeries to remove multiple bullets from her leg.

“I would like to see a big change, a big change getting the guns out of the hands of kids,” the great-aunt added.

In the spirit of change, on Tuesday, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the formation of Cleveland's Crime Gun Intelligence Center. It’s a hub bringing together more than 30 area agencies to investigate and prevent gun violence in the community.

“It doesn’t matter if a crime is committed in the city, suburb or rural area, the law enforcement investigators who investigate will have cutting edge technology at their fingertips and a lineup of experts ready to assist,” Garland said.

The 13-year-old's great-aunt hopes law enforcement works quickly to find the suspect before she’s released from the hospital because she believes it was a targeted incident.

“I am just concerned about her healing process and her getting through this mentally as a kid,” she added.

Police are aware the victim and the accused shooter knew each other. Cleveland Police have not made any arrests at this time, and this matter remains under investigation.

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