Woman shot in leg with pellet gun while riding bike
MELBOURNE, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - An afternoon bike ride turned into a terrifying trip for a Florida woman.
The victim, a nurse in Brevard County, was riding her bicycle on the Eau Gallie Causeway in Melbourne around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, when she said she was shot by a pellet gun. Melissa said she still has the slug buried deep inside her leg, preventing her from working, or riding.
"I couldn't believe it," she said. "All of the sudden I heard what sounded like an air rifle shooting. The CO2 cartridge was like a 'pshhhh' shot, and then I felt it."
She said she looked up and saw four people in a dark-colored, four-door sedan with the windows down.
"And as they drove away, I kinda saw some hand motions, like they were high-fiving or something, each other."
Melissa called 911 when she got to the bottom of the bridge.
"Someone shot something at me, like a gun or pellet gun or something, and I have a hole in my leg from it," she told the dispatcher.
The hole is small, but an X-ray revealed the pellet is lodged deep inside her leg, about a quarter-of-an-inch from the bone.
"I started crying, not because it hurt, but because I was really sad for humanity."
"We are not going to stand for our citizens being victimized like that," said Lt. Cheryl Trainer, with the Melbourne Police Department, who is asking for any tips from the public. "If they happen to have an idea, 'Hey, I heard somebody talking about this, I saw on social media, that rings a bell for me,' let us know."
Melissa will see a surgeon on Tuesday to determine whether to remove the slug or not.
Police are increasing citizen patrols in the area, but they admit they don't have enough information to search for a suspect. They say this crime is a felony that could carry jail time. Anyone with information is ask to call Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS (8477).