Stray bullet strikes Baby Shark doll inches from sleeping Wisconsin toddler

A stray bullet narrowly missed a sleeping Wisconsin toddler and instead struck the youngster’s stuffed Baby Shark doll, authorities said Friday.

Investigators recovered 45 shell casings from a firefight in Madison on Sunday night, police Lt. John Radovan told NBC News.

Bullet strikes stuffed shark in sleeping toddler’s bedroom.City of Madison Police Department

By Friday morning, there had been no arrests from the shooting that happened about 7 miles east of the University of Wisconsin, Radovan added.

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“From the evidence collected it is believed that there were two sides shooting at one another. Several rounds entered into neighboring residences, missing one occupant by approximately” five inches, city police Lt. Kipp Hartman said in a statement.

The mom of 3-year-old Aziyah told Madison NBC affiliate WMTV that her girl had been playing with the toy shark about 30 minutes before gunfire erupted. A bullet was recovered from Aziyah’s toy, police said.

“If the bullet would’ve came a couple more inches, it could’ve targeted her,” the mother said.

As soon as gunshots began to ring out, the mom said she ran into her daughter’s second-floor room.

“I didn’t know where they (gunshots) were coming from and I didn’t know what to do,” the mom recalled. “I just pulled my baby by her arm on to the floor and I just covered her.”

Madison police couldn’t recall ever having this many shots fired in one incident.

“We believe this may very well be a record number of shell casings found after one incident of gun violence,” Madison police spokesman Joel DeSpain said.

Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway urged anyone with information on the shooting to call police.

“Gun violence is not going to be tolerated in Madison. The people involved in this incident showed reckless disregard to human life, and we are fortunate no one was injured or killed,” Rhodes-Conway said in a statement. “If anyone knows anything about this, it’s time to speak up.”

source: nbcnews.com