LAWTON, Okla. (KFOR) — An eight-year-old boy was critically injured after a gunman shot at his family’s vehicle on Sunday, December 10.

Zachariah Bannister joined his mother while she was making food deliveries until their night took a tragic turn.

“My son, he didn’t deserve it. He is just like the sweetest little boy,” said his mother.

His mother said he had just celebrated his eighth birthday days before the shooting.

“He has the fractured skull,” she said. “He had bleeding on his brain.”

His mother is now praying this wouldn’t be his last.

“He’s so sweet and he’s just he’s innocent,” said his mother.

Zach’s mom drives for DoorDash and said she was in the car with her two children and mother-in-law.

“The kids, like doing it with me and everything. It makes them feel like they’re helping, and it gets them out of the house,” she said.

The family was making deliveries in a southwest Lawton neighborhood. His mother said her family would occasionally stop so Zach and his brother could enjoy the Christmas lights.

“I put the car in reverse and started reversing back so that way I could get back in front of the house,” his mother explained.

But when she did, shots rang out.

“It sounded like somebody was throwing fireworks at the car,” said his mother. “Their grandma was like, they’re shooting at us, go, go, go. So I threw it and drive and I started getting out of there.”

Zach’s brother did his best in the backseat.

“He was like, Zach’s bleeding. Then his little head started falling over towards his shoulders. His brother said, Zach, you can’t go to sleep, you can’t go to sleep,” said his mother.

His mother worked to get him to safety and drove him to the hospital.

“All I can think about was I need to get my baby help,” she said.

He’s now at a local children’s hospital, where his mother said he is making progress.

“They said that the bleeding has stopped,” said his mother. “He can move his arms pretty well, but he gets he gets tired easily.”

Police have arrested Jullian Phillips in connection to the shooting, a man police said the family doesn’t know.

Zach’s mom said he has a long road to recovery and will need physical therapy. If you’d like to help with medical costs, visit this link.