84-year-old woman struck by stray bullet in Brooklyn: 'Like a shock'

BROOKLYN - An 84-year-old woman is in the hospital tonight after being struck by a stray bullet in Brooklyn on Monday evening.

According to the NYPD, the victim, Althea Lawson, was sitting on her walker outside of her apartment at the Flatbush Gardens development on Brooklyn Avenue at Foster Avenue at around 6:45 p.m. on Monday, when she was struck in her left arm by a bullet.

"It's like a shock," said Enid Lawson, Althea's older sister. "I can't explain it, but I feel sad over it."

Residents and community leaders say they are upset and disgusted by the shooting.

Members of the Elite Learnings non-profit organization that's based in the development and part of the city's violence interruptor network, believe the shooter or shooters knew they were not working on Monday. Otherwise, they would have been a reassuring presence and visible deterrent like they are other days. 

"This is very disheartening, because on a day that we're off, a lady gets hurt, and this is not what a community is about," said Michael Warren, a supervisor at Elite Learners.

Lawson told FOX 5 NY that none of her sisters' sons ever picked up a gun and that something must be done about gun violence. 

"They must go to school, you send them off to school, pay money for them and that's what they do? Smoke and use the gun? Thank God I don't have one that use a gun," Lawson said.

Athea Lawson is currently being treated at Kings County Hospital where she's expected to survive. The NYPD tells us that so far there have been no arrests. If you have any information, detectives would like you to call 1-800-577-TIPS.