ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) – St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman has had enough of the gun violence in St. Petersburg.
“If that’s how you settle arguments or your goal is revenge, you’re not welcome here. This is St. Pete. We are a safe city,” Kriseman said.
On Tuesday night, the city’s twelfth murder of the year claimed the life of K’Mia Simmons, 21, a mother of two at the intersection of 22nd Street South at 18th Ave. S. around 6:15.
St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway tells 8 On Your Side Simmons was holding her 1-year-old child in her arms while her 2-year-old was in the backseat where a second bullet barely missed the toddler.
“The bullet went right through the booster seat, so it was probably the position of the baby, that’s the only reason why that baby is alive today,” Holloway said.
The police chief says the gunman was actually targeting the driver of the vehicle, but struck Simmons.
“The car pulled in front of them and cut them off. The person got out and it was like an ambush. They were looking for that person in that car. Again, it wasn’t a random target, they were going for the driver in that car,” Holloway said.
As a mother of nine Candice Moore feels for the two little girls that will now grow up without a mother.
“They won’t even be able to grasp where mommy is. I have a three year old too.” Moore said “I just think it’s terrible. There’s just too much going on, you know? And who’s going to explain to those babies, you know what I mean, why their mom is not there any more.”
According to Chief Holloway, the driver took the uninjured children to a family member’s home, leaving Simmons wounded in the car, and are looking to speak with him.
“We spoke to him briefly but we would like some more information from him because he can help us and the community can help us find this person. I want this person off the street,” Holloway said.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call the police at 727-893-7780.
