NEW ORLEANS - A teenager is recovering at home after being shot by a stray bullet. The accident happened about a week ago in Central City.
Eyewitness News spoke with two longtime family friends who say the violence in the town must stop.
"Yes, this one hit close to home, very close to home," said Claudia Gehrke with Skinz-N-Bonez.
17-year-old Howard Williams has always been active in the community.
"He's done several parades with us," said Gehrke.
"He knows everybody and everybody knows Howard," said Brett Newkirk, another family friend. "Extremely outgoing, smart, friendly, super nice kid."
Which is why those who know him are troubled by what happened about a week ago near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Claiborne.
"He was riding his bike up there and behind the fried chicken place when shots started ringing out," Newkirk described. "He tried getting across the street but one shattered his right leg, his femur."
Williams was hit by a stray bullet and luckily survived.
"They had to put the bone together and that was the hardest part of the operation," said Gehrke.
The incident, some feel, shines a light on crime in Central City. Something they believe is a huge problem.
"As far as I'm concerned, that's Ground Zero for all the going on that could be going on," said Newkirk. "Drug dealing, prostitution, everything is all right there."
"I just think when the temperatures go up the tempers go up," said Gehrke. "We're at that time of year whether it's random or on purpose it happens. This is New Orleans."
A GoFundMe Page was set up to help Williams' family. And as he heals at home, friends are hoping what happened will be an example for others to put the guns down.
"Tell people you love them," said Gehrke. "Care about each other, stop the violence it's not good for anyone, it's not good for the kids."
The GoFundMe Page is here.
Jade Cunningham can be reached at jcunningham@wwltv.com.