CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Clarksville community is still coming to grips with a horrific shooting incident that left a 15-year-old boy fighting for his life.
The wounded teenager stumbled onto a neighbor's doorstep, bloodied and screaming for help, believing he would not survive the ordeal.
Tia Castillo, a resident in the neighborhood, said she remembers the shocking moment when she heard the desperate cries for help.
"I ran over, and I said what's going on. And she was like, I don't know he's been shot. He was dumped here, and I was like, Oh my gosh," she said.
Terrifying screams pierced the neighborhood. The sounds were captured by a doorbell camera that documented the aftermath of the shooting.
According to the Clarksville Police, the 15-year-old victim was shot multiple times before being thrown from a moving car.
Castillo said she immediately sprang into action, calling for her husband to fetch their first aid kit. She comforted the wounded teenager, and was taken aback by his age.
"When he said he was 15 years old, it absolutely crushed me because he looked me in my eyes and he said, 'Tell my mom I love her. I'm going to die.' That's what he said. And I said, 'You are not going to die. Stay with us," Castillo said.
Jaylen Ford, a 19-year-old resident living across the street, also rushed to assist the victim.
He vividly described the gut-wrenching scene of the young boy collapsing to the floor, screaming in terror.
"It's just terrifying," Ford said.
Neighbors said before the screams they did hear gunshots, but they didn't think about their safety in the moment. Their biggest concern was saving the teen's life.
"One thing that he said while he was on the ground was, 'You know, I can't believe this is me. I didn't know it could be me.' He was saying that," Ford said, reflecting on the trauma the teen endured.
Emergency responders arrived at the scene to airlift the teenager to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville.
Police say he remains in critical but stable condition.
The community is holding onto the belief that their quick actions and care may have saved the young boy's life.
"Being 15 years old, you should never have to come to that conclusion that you might die, you know? And that's why I'm thankful that I was able to help them, you know, as much as I could in that situation," Ford said.
The Clarksville Police reported that shortly after the shooting, a 17-year-old arrived at Tennova Healthcare Emergency Room with a gunshot wound to their hand. It remains uncertain whether these two incidents are connected.
