16-Year-Old Boy Nearly Killed In Valentine's Day Shooting

A shooting in Racine, Wisconsin on Valentine’s Day left a 16-year-old child fighting for his life as collateral damage. The shooting occurred as a result of one party passing counterfeit money to another, after which the recipient realized the scam and began shooting at the perpetrator’s car. One of the bullets in the hail of gunfire hit the boy in the back and has since left him in intensive care at the Children’s Wisconsin Hospital in Wauwatosa.

The Journal Times reports that the victim was a passenger in the care of a marijuana dealer who was given the counterfeit bills after a drug deal gone bad. The incident reportedly took place in the parking lot of a Marathon Gas Station. The shooter, 18-year-old Jerred Townsend, has been charged with three counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety with use of a dangerous weapon; intent to deliver marijuana, a felony; and one count of first-degree reckless injury. He faces a maximum of 25 years in prison for the latter of the offenses.

In addition to rallying behind the victim’s recovery, his family is stressing his status as an innocent bystander who had no part in the circumstances that led to his shooting. “We want it to be known: He was not the purchaser; he did not set up the deal; we don’t even know if he knew there was fake money involved,” his aunt said. “He was a passenger in a vehicle — nothing more.”

The boy has already had two surgeries, one exploratory and one to resolve an infection after parts of his pancreas had died, and he is expected to face more as he continues the long road to recovery. The bullet did not pierce any major organs, but many were bruised and compromised. He also suffered rib fractures and still has the bullet in his hip after doctors decided that it was too risky to remove.