11-year-old Rome girl out of hospital after drive-by shooting

Eleven-year-old Makalah Jones was in the kitchen of her Rome residence Friday night when a bullet struck her cheek, exiting through her neck.

Makalah?s mother, April Donaldson, said she and her boyfriend were sitting out front when a car drove by, slowed and fired off shots, one of which went through the front window, crossed the living room and hit a refrigerator before finally striking her daughter.

Makalah was released from a Utica hospital Saturday after being treated for face, neck and arm injuries. But Donaldson said the incident left her kids shaken and her thinking of moving from the 602 Park Drive home that she?s lived in for six years.

?She thinks that it?s something she did wrong,? Donaldson said of her daughter. ?You know, she?s 11-years-old. She just doesn?t understand.?

Neither does Donaldson. And as of Saturday night, city police had not released any information on what might have motivated the attack.

What the police have said is that the shooting occurred just after 9:30 p.m., while Donaldson and her 25-year-old boyfriend were sitting on the front porch of their one-story residence. A car, described an older model silver or gold sedan, drove by and fired multiple shots from an unknown caliber gun.

That vehicle was last seen driving west on Park Drive, police said.

Standing on the same stoop where she saw the incident occur, Donaldson said her daughter now is home, but doctors have said she?ll have a permanent scar. A bullet hole was clearly visible in the living room window to the right of her, as were several other holes in the surrounding siding.

Park Drive surrounds a portion of Woodhaven Housing Complex, which previously served as military housing for Griffiss Air Force base and has been abandoned for about 17 years, according to O-D archives. Weeds, extensive vandalism and rough winters have taken their toll on the Rome properties.

Despite the neighboring neglect, Park Drive resident Melissa Provencher said it?s a quiet neighborhood with no issues. She and her husband have lived at 612 Park Drive for about four years.

?There?s nothing that ever goes on here,? she said. ?Yeah, we have our brawling in the streets type thing, but other than that we don?t have anything.?

?The only thing I know is I heard four shots last night, and the next thing I know my whole street is covered with cops,? she added.

Anyone with information on this ongoing investigation is asked to call Rome police at 339-7715 or to send an anonymous trip through www.romepd.com.

The Oneida County Sheriff?s Department, the Rome Fire Department and Amcare Ambulance assisted at the scene Friday.

Source: http://www.uticaod.com/news/x736422006/11-year-old-Rome-girl-injured-in-drive-by-shooting

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