An Asian American family is fearing for their lives, believing they were racially targeted after bullets were sprayed at their home in metro Atlanta.
Homeowners Nikki and Johnny Hang described how someone started shooting at their house on their quiet cul-de-sac at Magnolia Place, Lawrenceville last Saturday night, reported 11Alive.
“I heard like someone dropped a big glass bowl on the floor, like…clang! And then, it was just like…pow, pow, pow!” Nikki said.
The couple was home with their four children when they realized they were hearing gunshots and immediately called police, reported CBS46.
Nikki told her family to get down as bullets flew, penetrating walls in the house, hitting their roof, windows and parts of their children’s bedrooms. Several shell casings were found outside the family’s house by an officer that arrived on the scene.
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“If it went one way, it would’ve hit the other person. If it went the other way, it might’ve hit the other person and that would’ve been devastating. But, God was protecting us,” Johnny said.
While the Hangs are thankful no one was harmed, they feared someone chose their home because of their race.
The family, who moved to the area two months ago, is the only Asian household in the cul-de-sac and one of few Asian families in the entire neighborhood.
“We don’t know the motive behind this so they were scared,” Nikki added. “What if someone’s out there waiting for us?”
A neighbor witnessed what appeared to be a Black Mustang with its light off pull up across the victims’ house, authorities said.
Neither the couple nor their children could think of anyone that would want to harm them when asked by authorities.
A few neighbors who have lived in the area for over 20 years told Johnny that the Hang family’s situation is the first to ever happen.
“All of a sudden, we moved here for two months, and then our house got shot up? That’s when I’m like…it has to be racially motivated,” Johnny said. “Nobody needs to live like this, with the fear of somebody (is) trying to kill you.”
Authorities are investigating the incident. Evidence needs to be identified that the family was “targeted specifically” before it’s a hate crime, Gwinnett County Police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477).
Featured Image via 11Alive
