One day after being shot and wounded outside of a Highland home, a man and his 4-year-old son were in hiding due to fear that the assailants might return, family members said.
The car-to-car shooting occurred about 5:36 p.m. Monday in the 7600 block of Bonnie Street (map), according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Deputies were sent to the location and found the 28-year-old man and child suffering from gunshot wounds.
An investigation indicated the two victims were in a vehicle when another vehicle pulled alongside. The shooter or shooters opened fire and then fled the scene, the Sheriff’s Department said.
The father and son were treated at a hospital and released.
“Their life could’ve ended. There were so many shots fired,” said the man’s cousin, who asked not to be identified. She said he grabbed the boy after the shooting, which took place outside her house, and ran for help.
The bullet shattered a bone in the child’s left leg, the woman said, adding that he “was so strong to where he didn’t cry or anything. He was just like, ‘It hurt, it hurt, it hurt.'”
The father was shot twice in the arm, relatives said.
Adriana Gonzalez, who lives near the scene, said a round struck her bedroom wall.
“They were literally close to each other,” she said of the two vehicles. “We didn’t get to see faces. If we did, just [as] a reaction of how nervous we were, we all blanked out.”
There was no known motive for the shooting, and no vehicle description was available, according to sheriff’s investigators.
Relatives of the victims said the incident was not related to gangs or drugs.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Highland Police Department at 909-387-8313. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call 800-78-CRIME.