Daisy Street shooting witness: ‘They shot the little boy standing beside me.’

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (WDEF) – Four people including a 7-year old are recovering on Independence Day after two gunmen went on a shooting rampage Sunday night.

It happened in the 2300 Block of Daisy Street in East Chattanooga.

“I thought it was fireworks and then I saw the little boy fall with blood everywhere. I looked back and that’s when they started shooting towards me. I was right there at that basketball goal,” said a young eyewitness whom News 12 is not identifying.

Although the boy’s mother gave him permission in front of News 12 to talk on the record about what he saw and experienced, News 12 is not identifying him by name or age for his own his own safety.

The young eyewitness said that he and other kids were playing basketball in the street, when a suspicious car pulled up and stopped at the intersection of Daisy Street and Wheeler Avenue.

“The car came to the stop sign and stopped and then went around the street. Two people got out, came around the corner and started shooting at us. They shot the little boy standing beside me, so we all took off running back behind fence and they were still shooting more bullets,” he said.

The kid knows he was very lucky.

“I’m okay. My buddy got shot in the leg and his little cousin or brother got shot in the back. A bullet skidded across his sister’s arm but she’s okay. They’re all okay. Oh and Charlie got shot right here,” he said.

Police have identified the two adult victims as Charles Patton Jr., 34 and Shaderrika Ruffin, 19. Ruffin was grazed and Patton was shot in the foot. A 15-year old was also shot in the foot and the 7-year old who was standing next to the eyewitness was shot in the back.

Fortunately for police, the young eyewitness who came within inches of being shot himself was able to give a description of the two shooters and their vehicle.

“One of them had dreadlocks. He was real skinny. He was wearing a black jacket. The other dude had something orange on. There was a bunch of people in the car. It was an Impala but I can’t remember what kind of color. It was either silver or grayish,” he said.

Police have not released any details on a motive behind the shooting, and the young eye-witness said he’s not sure why he and other kids were targeted.

Other neighbors who live around the corner told News 12, they have seen the Chevy Impala driven by the suspects but could not identify who they were.