Watch: Chilling Footage Shows Woman Saved by Attacker's Gun Malfunctioning Twice
“I looked him in the eyes. I was telling him, ‘You don’t have to do this. Put the gun down. Why are you doing this? You don’t have to.’ I was literally saying, ‘No, don’t.'”
According to an exclusive interview with WABC-TV, these were the pleas of a 45-year-old Queens resident as she was taken by surprise, held at gunpoint by a stranger as she returned home Friday night, July 19.
“I used my bag. If the bullet should come flying, I was going to basically use the bag as a defense, trying to see if I could go in the direction and dodge the bullet,” the woman, who has requested to remain anonymous, told the outlet.
But the bullet never came.
Miraculously, as the strange man attempted to open fire on the woman, his gun jammed — not just once, but twice.
“You could have seen the frustration in his eyes, wanting to know why the gun wasn’t going off,” the woman said. “He looked me in the eyes, and after he tried to crank it a second time, he pulled the trigger thinking this is it and he got frustrated.”
Authorities report the suspect, an adult African-American male yet to be identified, fled on foot from the Ozone Park scene. He headed south down 109 Street before turning west onto 109 Avenue, New York Police Department told WNYW.
City security cameras caught the entire incident, including a brief glimpse of the perpetrator’s face, which was revealed when the shirt covering his face came loose as he made his escape.
GUN JAM: New York City police are searching for an unidentified man caught on camera in Queens attempting to fire a gun at a 45-year-old woman before the weapon jams and he eventually takes off on foot; authorities say they believe the attack was random. https://t.co/TIWfX8eoov pic.twitter.com/xr2VsDfw5u
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) July 22, 2019
The unnamed victim reportedly told authorities she did not recognize the shooter by his build.
The woman’s residence was, however, subject to a burglary in April, and both local authorities and the victim have a sneaking suspicion the two incidents may be related.
The April burglary was also interrupted before anyone might be hurt when the family dog chased the perpetrator off the property.
The victim’s children reportedly told WABC that the two incidents have left them fearful, but their mother — she has no fears.
She says God was with her. How else could she have survived the events of Friday night entirely unscathed?
Authorities and local news outlets are asking anyone with potentially important information relating to this incident to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).
Tips can also be submitted at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com, on Twitter @NYPDTips or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. Anonymous tips are welcome.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
