Grandmother hurt after bullet comes through window while she was doing dishes inside Pontiac home

Tommie Howard shot in arm while inside her own home

PONTIAC, Mich. – A grandmother in Pontiac was injured Monday when a stray bullet went through her window while she was doing the dishes inside her home.

Neighbors said several people were firing shots just outside the 64-year-old woman's home when she was struck in the arm. Family members said they heard shots in the distance that kept getting louder until a bullet came through a window.

"It was real scary, and all I knew was that I had been hit and I saw blood going everywhere," Tommie Howard said.

Howard was standing in her kitchen around 2 p.m. Monday when the side window shattered and she felt pain in her arm.

"A bullet came through the window and hit me in the arm and broke the flowerpot on the table," Howard said.

It's not clear if the bullet or fragments from the flowerpot injured Howard, but her arm is painful and swollen.

"I got hit in two places," Howard said. "It's messed up."

Howard said there were children playing outside while the shots were fired.

"It was bullets going everywhere, kept getting louder and louder, and then they got close," Howard said.

Oakland County deputies were called after neighbors saw several people shooting at the home on South Marshall Street. By the time police arrived, Howard's family had rushed her to the hospital.

Howard has lived in Pontiac for a decade, and she said the violence there is getting worse.

"These boys were arguing and beefing and started shouting," Howard said.

Her 12-year-old grandson is angry at the people who picked up guns and injured his grandmother.

"For the people who shot my granny, you have no life," he said.

Howard said she's scared even when she's inside her home.

"I don't even know whether to stand up or get down and crawl through the house because you never know when it's going to happen," Howard said.


About the Authors:

Priya joined WDIV-Local 4 in 2013 as a reporter and fill-in anchor. Education: B.A. in Communications/Post Grad in Advanced Journalism

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.