4-year-old boy riding in car hit by stray bullet during Bradenton gunfight, cops say

A 4-year-old boy riding in a car with his mother was shot during a gunfight between two men in Bradenton, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies say the two men began shooting at one another in the 3000 block of 27th Street East on about 8:22 p.m. Wednesday.

The mother of the victim was driving south on 27th Street East when the two men began shooting and a stray bullet hit the child in the shoulder as he was riding in the backseat.

The child was taken to Tampa General Hospital to be treated for the gunshot wound. The child has since been released and is expected to make a full recovery. The mother was uninjured.

Witnesses say the two men firing at one another ran off in opposite directions.

One was descried as being between 5 feet 8 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall with a skinny build and wearing a white T-shirt.

The second suspect was only described as wearing dark clothing.

Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to contact the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office at 941-747-3011 or call Crime Stoppers at 866-634-TIPS.