Yakima police: 68-year-old woman shot while lying in bed
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YAKIMA, Wash. -- A grandmother is recovering after she was shot in her own bed on North 9th Street.
The Yakima woman was the target of a drive-by shooting likely intended for a gang member who lived in the house before her.
The 68-year old woman was shot in the leg while sleeping in her bed.
"My mom heard the shootings that's what woke her up and then she went into my room and told me there were a lot of police officers," said neighbor Lily Martinez.
Yakima Police said a car drove by this home on North 9th Street shortly before 7 in the morning.
Someone fired three shots into the back of the home. One hit the grandmother.
Neighbors can't believe it.
"We've never had any problems with them," said a woman who didn't want to be identified. "They come and go to work."
Police think this is a terrible case of mistaken identity. They believe this is the work of gang members who believed a gang family lived in the home.
Officers said those people moved out and the grandmother became the unintentional target instead.
This is the second time this year that an innocent person was shot inside their home here in Yakima.
Two months ago a woman was shot in the back while sleeping in bed with her baby. It was a drive-by on 6th Avenue south of Nob Hill Blvd. The shooter was never found.
"It's really sad that you have to worry in your own home about somebody coming by and shooting," she said.
Police said the grandmother should make a full recovery.
Several shell casings were found in the alley. Cops will use them to locate the shooter.
"Several shell casings were found in the alley. Cops will use them to locate the shooter" Sadly that isn't the case.. it can identify the weapon used, but that won't identify the particular shooter  LOL.. Unless the idiot didn't wear gloves to keep his prints off of the casings
This is why the government should bulldoze known gang houses; so innocent people don't move into a former gang house and get shot at.Â
Gangs and associated members will just move to another house or apartment  ... unfortunately bulldozing is not the answer....The taxpayer probably will have to foot the bill for significantly increased police presence in these areas if they want the problem to be reduced and invest in programs that take away the seed bed that gangs cater to.... Good solutions do cost and are necessary. .