Staten Island Baby Loses Eye After Being Shot In Face, 19-Year-Old Arrested

The crime scene, via WCBS 2

While the 21-month-old baby girl who was caught in the crossfire of a Staten Island gunfight has survived being shot in the face, little Samyah Bailey has undergone brain surgery and lost an eye. Samyah had been sitting in her stroller at 1:40 p.m. yesterday when, witnesses tell the Staten Island Advance, "a heated argument broke out between two men." Police have arrested 19-year-old Damark King and charged him with assault, criminal use of a firearm and reckless endangerment.

According to the Daily News, "King ran up to Bailey's father, Michael, 28, and uncle, Anthony Mahoney, on a nearby bench and unleashed a wild fusillade but missed his mark. One of the rounds instead slammed into Samyah's temple, setting off panic in the courtyard." A family friend, Indigo Williams, grabbed Samyah, I didn't even think - it was just reaction. I ran to get the baby. I saw the baby there by herself... he was still shooting," and rushed her to the hospital.

The Post's sources say that the King and Samyah's mother may have had a fight: "Sources said King and the baby's mom may have been boyfriend and girlfriend at one time. Once the fight erupted, sources said the baby's uncle intervened. An enraged King left and returned a short time later with a 9mm, looking to shoot the uncle, the sources said."

A resident who lives in the Arlington Apartments complex told NBC New York that shootings were a common occurance, "They need to shut this place down."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on September 15, 2011 11:33 AM

Comments [rss]

fleur_de_lis

I'm usually not a violent person, but if the person who did this was in front of me, I'd beat them till they were bloody. I HATE that this happened. What an IDIOT. shooting a frickin baby? really?!! UGHHHHH I don't even know the kid or anything and I'm SO SO enraged. Think of what the family is going through :( I can't believe that even happened :( How can people be this stupid?? I get people being evil or wanting revenge so bad that they'll kill (even though that's messed up too) but this is just senseless!! A BABY!! It breaks my heart.

BottomlessChips

His shot wasn't... on Damark!

Elderta2

rimshot!

Cat1982

Don't see Sharpton saying much about crap like this. If this was my community, CHILDREN getting shot while sitting in their stroller, I would be up in arms to try to find a solution.

felixthecat

Not just sharpton. Everyone. People are leaving NYC. The people arriving are not quality. Soon their will flood manhattan and back to those days. Transplant will
Run back to their farms.

felixthecat

They not their. iPhone

BoogieDown

This brand of terrorism is real, people. Citizens of our city are far more likely to be hurt or killed by this type of behavior than by "Islamic extremists". What does it take to get this stuff taken more seriously?!?! White people dying? I am just at a loss as to why this isn't getting more attention.

brooklynRick

YES! Great thought

brooklynRick

Oh wait, theres no money to be made in fixing the ghetto.

economatronic

Isn't this the sad truth.

Militant Conformist

Too bad they never found oil or natural gas under those Staten Island projects. Haliburton would have had the neighborhood cleanup contract so fast you would have thought they used a time machine

The_Green_Devil

Why not ask the homies who go around wearing "Don't snitch" t-shirts for their educated opinion on the matter?

felixthecat

If nypd wasn't so racist and corrupt then people would snitch. That no snitch campiaign is against the nypd brutality and false arrests and false reports.

Unkle_Bob

The "no snitch" thing happens all over the world - from small towns to large cities. It has nothing to do with the NYPD.

BoogieDown

Not to mention that plenty of people do "snitch" (god, I hate that term). How do people think crimes get solved? By magic?

BoogieDown

Threatening your neighbors with physical harm or death if they contact the police is terrorism. Thanks for helping to prove my point.

cr17

All for an "eye for an eye" on this one, and let's cut off the trigger finger while we're at it.

Jen Chung

This makes me so upset—I am glad Samyah is alive, but she was JUST SITTING IN HER STROLLER and she gets shot. SO INFURIATING.

BoogieDown

Must be really hard to read things like this when you have a little one of your own. I don't even have kids and I am so appalled by the fact that at least eight kids (that I know of) have been shot in this city over the past two weeks.