5-year-old wounded in Chicago gang shooting, mother speak out

A 5-year-old girl wounded in a mass drive-by shooting on the West Side and her mother have shared their emotional story with FOX 32.

It still haunts her.

“They were shooting, shooting, shooting. I remember having eye contact with the guy,” said mother Taina Lopez. “My daughter Maya was outside of the car and she had already got hit, but didn't know, so she jumped in the car to try to cover the other kids.”

Video obtained by FOX 32 shows the moment the shooting happened. 14-year-old Maya took six bullets, including in her chest. 15-year-old mahogany was shot in the thigh and 5-year-old Zulay took 3 bullets, including one to the arm.

“The window cracked and all the people that were in the back got shot,” said little Zulay Sykes.

Still with energy for brief playtime, the brave and spirited little girl showed her injury just minutes after being released from the hospital.

FOX 32: how does your arm feel right now?

“Good,” Zulay said.

“They don't have much, and now they have less,” said uncle Demetrio Javier.

The family is now on a journey that includes a lengthy recovery from injuries beyond the physical ones.

“It's hard. It's a long road. Unfortunately, it'll probably be a never-ending road. But we'll do the best we can,” Javier said.