A Wisconsin woman was shot more than 20 times in front of her children by her partner, according to police.
Milwaukee police were notified about a reported shooting near 24th and Lapham at about 11 a.m. on July 23.
Nikeya Shumake said she had been driving when her partner Askia Strong started to show inappropriate pictures to their daughter.
According to Fox6, she then started to argue with Strong and told the network: “I was just driving and saying don’t show that to my daughter.”
When she approached 24th and Lapham, Shumake alleged that Strong hit her and threatened her.
She told Fox6: “I didn’t find out he had a gun until after he hit me. My daughter yelled, ‘mom he has a gun.'”
Upon learning her partner had a gun, Shumake parked the minivan and started to run away from her partner.
According to the network, prosecutors said Strong gave chase and opened fire. He continued to shoot Shumake when she was on the ground with their children close by.
Shumake said: “My head. My arms, my back, my legs. My stomach. When it was happening I wasn’t counting.”
A woman then took Shumake to a nearby hospital and doctors later found she had been shot 23 times.
The Gun Violence Archive, a database that collects information about shootings from across the U.S., found that three women had been shot and injured in Milwaukee since August 1.
Shumake told Fox6 that doctors and nurses were amazed that she was able to survive the shooting.
Kamaren Lacking, Shumake’s brother, said: “That’s a coward. That’s not a man. She’s strong. She’s very strong. You’ve got to be strong to go through something like this.”
Shumake said she did not think the violence would escalate to such a degree and told those in violent relationships: “If they’re [victims] in danger if a guy hits you once or even disrespects you. He’s not for you and they should get out.”
Anyone seeking help should call The National Domestic Violence Hotline, a free and confidential hotline available 24/7 that can be reached on 1-800-799-7233 or TTY 1-800-787-3224. The Hotline also provides information on local resources. For more information visit https://www.thehotline.org/.
Strong faces the following charges once he is arrested, according to Fox6:
- Attempted first-degree intentional homicide
- First-degree reckless injury
- Possession of a firearm by a felon
- First degree recklessly endangering safety
- Second-degree recklessly endangering safety
- Bail jumping
Newsweek has contacted the Milwaukee Police Department for comment.
There have been numerous occasions where women have been shot in cases of domestic violence across the U.S.
In June, a mother and her 5-year-old son were shot and killed in California in what police believed was a domestic violence incident.
The Baldwin Park Police Department said in a press release on June 6: “It is with great sadness that our department reports the passing of mother and son that were the victims of a late-night shooting on Sunday, June 5, 2022.
“The incident occurred near the 4200 block of Merced at approximately 9:20 p.m.”