The horrific reason why a Philadelphia woman shot a seven-month-old baby in the leg has been revealed – with a lieutenant calling it “mind-boggling”.
Dominique Billips, 28, was arrested Friday in connection with the July 18 shooting and was charged with three counts of aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and other offenses, Lt. Dennis Rosenbaum said at a news conference.
He later revealed that she was apparently upset over a “$100 narcotics debt” and may have intended to shoot the baby’s father.
“Sometimes the things we see are mind-blowing,” Rosenbaum said at the news conference. according to USA Today.
“People get so angry that they always resort to nonsense. I don’t understand it.”
Dominique Billips, 28, allegedly shot a seven-month-old baby in the leg because she was upset over a “$100 narcotics debt”
Billips was identified as the shooter by witnesses after police released surveillance footage from the scene of the shooting at around 5:52 p.m. Thursday in the Holmesburg neighborhood of Philadelphia.
The footage shows a woman walking slowly towards the couple standing to one side before raising her gun just a few feet away from the mother.
The boy’s father runs away after the first shot. She fires a second shot at the father, before turning to the mother and firing one more, then running away.
He then shouted: “Fuck your baby, you bitch,” after the mother screamed in pain: “My baby,” CCTV footage shows.
When police arrived at the scene, they found evidence of gunfire, but no victims.
They later learned that a baby in a stroller had been shot in the right leg and had been taken to a local hospital in a private vehicle.
A woman, who has since been identified as Billips, was caught on surveillance video shooting a mother and her baby in a stroller.
Police followed Billips on Friday and detectives approached her before she could get into a vehicle that was also captured on surveillance footage.
They then obtained search warrants for both of Billips’ addresses and found an extended magazine, 11 live rounds and other ammunition, and she was subsequently arrested, Rosenbaum said.
Police now believe Billips was actually targeting the baby’s father, and Rosenbaum said he had gotten into an argument with the boy’s parents shortly before the shooting.
The mother then left with the child and the father headed to join them, but he didn’t know the shooter was following him.
“In the video, you can see that she actually points the gun at the baby’s mother, who is also a minor, and shoots. Luckily, she doesn’t hit her,” Rosenbaum said.
“A seven-month-old baby won’t remember it, but it will always be there. That story will always be there.”
Both parents fled the scene after the shooting and a neighbor took the baby to the hospital for treatment. The baby’s father was later arrested by police and both parents were questioned.
The parents are also believed to have not remained at the scene after the shooting because there was a warrant out for one of them for a non-violent offense.
The baby was transported to a local hospital by a neighbor.
“When I found out the baby was seven months old and both parents said they had warrants out for their arrest, they got out of the car and I took the baby,” she said. NBC Philadelphia.
“I felt like I had to protect that child. It was overwhelming. It was scary. That person walked up and didn’t care, didn’t feel any remorse, and just shot and walked away like nothing happened.”
It’s unclear what the family of three was doing in the Holmesburg neighborhood since they do not live in the area.
But the baby’s father was later arrested by police and both parents were questioned.
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