BELLE GLADE, Fla. — Palm Beach County sheriff's deputies responded to the Covenant Villas apartment complex in Belle Glade on Sunday after a 16-year-old was shot.
Sheriff's officials said they responded to the apartments shortly before 3 p.m. They said the teen was airlifted to a local hospital, underwent surgery and is expected to survive.
It’s shootings like these that worry residents such as Rose Jean-Baptiste.
"It’s tragic and very sad. I feel sad for this family," Jean-Baptiste said. "I have a 7-year-old daughter. As a mother, I think nobody should have to experience this."
Jean-Baptiste lives near the shooting scene and said gunfire in the neighborhood is, unfortunately, nothing new.
"It's not safe anywhere," Jean-Baptiste said. "You go to school, you go to church. It's not really safe."
She is seeking solutions to crime near her home and has installed cameras for security.
"We need more police officers," Jean-Baptiste said.
Other neighbors worry about the children who live and play in the area since the shooting happened across from Hand Park, a neighborhood park.
Detectives said they have identified all parties involved, and there is no threat to the community.
