A 6-year-old boy is now recovering after allegedly being threatened and shot by his neighbor in a Michigan neighborhood. The neighbor, whose real name is Ryan Le-Nguyen, allegedly threatened the boy with a sledgehammer before returning inside his home and shooting the child through his window. Although Ryan was charged with assault with intent to murder, he has been released from jail on a $10,000 bond.
The boy’s father Arnold Daniel spoke to Fox 2 Detroit and shared that his children were outside riding their bikes over the weekend. During their playtime, his son Coby laid his bike in front of Ryan’s home. When Coby returned to grab his bicycle, the neighbor allegedly made the threat with the sledgehammer. At that point, Ryan returned inside his home and allegedly shot Coby.
“He tried hitting me with a sledgehammer but that’s not going to work because I’m too fast. He got a gun and BOOM shot me right here,” Coby said during an interview with Fox 2 Detroit.
Coby was struck in his arm, but he is expected to make a full recovery. However, Arnold said the doctor at the hospital told him Coby could’ve likely been killed if the bullet had hit him an inch in either direction from its original place. The bullet went through Coby’s arm, according to Fox 2 Detroit.
Arnold revealed to the news outlet that he’s allegedly had issues with his neighbor in the past, including see him try to trash one of his children’s bicycles.
Ryan was arrested by Washtenaw County Sheriff and charged with assault with intent to murder. However, he was granted a $10,000 bond and released three days after the arrest. He was also ordered not to return home, but Daniel said that order offers little comfort to him and his family.
“I’m scared for my family because I don’t know what he’s capable of,” Daniel said.
The prosecutor’s office told Fox 2 Detroit they are “shocked” by the low bond. An emergency motion has been filed to raise the bond to $100,000.
“Right now, he’s not even processing what happened,” Daniel said in reference to Coby’s recovery. “He doesn’t realize how close he came to not being here..but I realize it.”
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