'A parent's worst nightmare': Girl hit by stray bullet on Thanksgiving; man charged

On Thanksgiving Day, a 7-year-old girl was playing in her yard with family when she was struck by a stray bullet in Johnston County. 

According to the Johnston County Sheriff's Office, an adult nearby reported hearing a "whizzing" sound before realizing the child had been shot in the leg.

On Tuesday, Dec. 3, an arrest was made in the case. Eric McDonald was charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and discharging a weapon into occupied property.

The girl’s mother expressed her frustration, saying, "This is every parent's worst nightmare—to hear your child scream and know they’ve been shot in the leg."

A total of 18 bullets were found around the Four Oaks property.  Investigators believe neighbors were target practicing when the bullet hit the child and several nearby homes.

According to one of the girl's aunts, the bullet hit an artery. The family immediately sprung into action.

“I asked her mother, my sister, for something to tie it off with. She gave me a bra, and I cut the straps to tie both legs off individually,” victims aunt said.

The child passed out during the ordeal.

Her mother and aunt rushed her to a local hospital, from which she was transferred to WakeMed for further treatment.

While all this was happening, the target practice continued to unfold at the neighboring house. 

Family members of the victim had to drive over to tell them to stop and that a little girl had been shot.

“They were still shooting when my husband pulled up in their yard," aunt said. "They told him that they didn’t know that there were houses back there.” 

The family is thankful the girl is alive, but the situation could have been much worse.

“Previously, she was sitting on the ground. So if she had not stood up to get the water bottle off of the table it would’ve went into her chest,” aunt said.

The girl was scheduled to have surgery to have the bullet removed. 

The family wanted to emphasize that their goal isn't to get anyone in trouble, but to raise awareness and prevent anyone else from getting hit by a stray bullet.