A 7-year-old child was shot in the face when gunfire hit two cars on Interstate 24.
Authorities said the shooting happened around 10:45 p.m. Saturday in the westbound lanes of the interstate near Hickory Hollow Parkway.
Reports stated two cars were hit with gunfire. A couple and their 8-month-old baby were in one of the vehicles, and they were not injured.
A child in the second vehicle, identified as Kayla Velazquez, was shot in the face. Velazquez was sitting in the backseat of the vehicle.
She was taken to Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt with critical injuries. Police said the bullet entered the young girl's cheek and exited through her nose. Sunday afternoon, authorities confirmed Velazquez was in stable condition.
No other injuries were reported in the second vehicle.
The victims said they were driving back from a Walmart in Smyrna when the shooting took place. They confirmed they heard multiple booming noises. They stopped driving when they realized Velazquez had been shot.
Officials said the shooter was described as the passenger in an older, white Ford four-door car. According to witnesses, the suspect was hanging out of the front passenger window when he fired the shots.
Detectives said the investigation remained ongoing. Anyone with information has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463 or the Emergency Communications Center at 615-862-8600.
