A Milwaukee woman is recovering after being struck by a stray bullet while celebrating the Fourth of July holiday in her own driveway.
Nicole Valdes was enjoying the holiday with her family when what she initially thought was a bat striking her arm turned out to be a bullet that tore through her arm and lodged in her chest.
"I'm sitting in my driveway, and all of a sudden it's a life-changing experience. Oh my goodness, I can't believe this just happened to me," Valdes said.
The incident occurred just after 9:30 p.m. on July 4. Valdes quickly realized she was seriously injured.
"I feel water, liquid coming down my arm. I pull up my sleeve and I see blood," Valdes said.
Her family immediately created a tourniquet and rushed her to the emergency room. Doctors told her she was lucky to be alive.
Brian Valdes, Nicole's husband, described the traumatic experience.
"It's horrible," Brian said. "Shooting outside with nobody knowing where it's gonna go, it ends up hitting somebody, something, could be a car, house, anything. This time it wasn't that—it was my wife."
The bullet remains lodged in Valdes' chest, and no arrests have been made in connection with the shooting. The family says they no longer feel safe in the home they've lived in for 40 years.
"I don't think we're gonna be here much longer now," Brian said. "Being in your driveway enjoying yourself and getting a stray bullet out the sky when you're supposed to be celebrating your independence."
Watch: Woman shot by stray bullet while celebrating Fourth of July in her driveway
The couple decided to share their story to raise awareness about gun safety.
"People need to know. People need to know they can't be reckless with firearms," Brian said.
Nicole is now recovering at home but faces daily pain, mounting medical bills, and emotional trauma.
"I'm still in shock. I could've died. My husband could have been planning my funeral," Nicole said.
Despite the ordeal, Nicole remains grateful.
"I'm lucky to be a survivor. God was on my side," she said.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with Nicole's medical expenses.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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