Watch CBS News

More Security At 2 Brooklyn Schools After Mother Hit By Stray Bullet

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- There is more security at two Brooklyn schools Thursday as police hunt for a gunman who wounded a mother on her way to pick up her children.

School safety officers greeted students outside of P.S. 253 in Brighton Beach after a suspect opened fire Wednesday afternoon  during a fight by nearby Grady High School.

One of the bullets struck 34-year-old Safia Bibi, who was walking to pick up her two sons from P.S. 253.

"She tried to run back home, but then she felt something on her back again," her niece Kainat Yasin said. "That's when she collapsed and then she screamed out, 'I need help.'"

"It was right next to our school and there was a lockdown and we didn't know what was gonna happen," said student Ismail Chadury.

Bibi is now recovering at home after surgery on her arm.

Bibi and her family have lived in the area for 17 years and say fights at Grady High happen every day. With the elementary school so close, they want more consistent security to keep an eye on the rowdy teens.

"She just says she's really afraid of them and every day it happens and every time she picks up the kids, she's always afraid and it's just crazy," said Yasin.

Even with more police at both schools Thursday, some think it's not enough.

"Our kids go to school and they need lot protection," parent Ishrat Tahira told CBS2's Janelle Burrell.

"We need the police around here when the kids come to the school or when they went out the school," said resident Jose Oliveras.

Police sources confirm the groups fighting are mostly Grady students, but they're not sure whether the shooter attends the school, Burrell reported.

So far, police have not named any suspects.

Check Out These Other Stories From CBSNewYork.com:

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.