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Grandmother shot after grandson’s funeral

Posted at 6:11 PM, Oct 24, 2016
and last updated 2016-10-24 18:11:28-04

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Elijah Libbett said he ducked as a barrage of bullets whizzed by on Eastern Avenue near Baxter Street. They flew towards Urban Family Ministries where he works. At least one round pierced the building.

Libbett said, "Everybody ran towards the door."

However, he recalled one woman couldn't move and had been hit in the upper body.

"I looked up, and I seen the female laying on the ground. So we helped her up," Libbett said

That woman attended a dinner following the funeral for her late grandson Juwan Boykins. The 21-year-old is a victim of gun violence himself. Someone shot and killed him earlier this month. His 52-year-old grandmother and other loved ones family had just left the gathering at Urban Family Ministries. Libbett said it's a place that seeks to curb the very thing that played out in front of his eyes.

Libbett said when such shootings occur "some innocent kid get hurt, some innocent mother get hurt." He added that when the intended target walks away "they [are] still out here, and you locked up."

"So what sense do it make?" he asked rhetorically.

Family told FOX 17 that the grandmother is still in the hospital after suffering critical injuries and is listed in stable condition. Police need tips. If you know anything about this shooting, you can call Silent Observer at 616-774-2345.