US shooting: Man arrested in shootout that injured 8-year-old at Louisville playground

LOUISVILLE (Kentucky, US), Jan 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — An American man has been charged in connection with a shootout that injured an 8-year-old boy.

Dewann Billups, 22, of Louisville, is facing charges of assault, wanton endangerment and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.

Police say he was one of several involved in a shootout Wednesday afternoon in the area of Dana Drive and March Boulevard in the Jacobs neighborhood.

During an exchange of gunfire, 8-year-old Mohammad Azimi was struck.

The boy’s family said he was on a playground near his home at the time.

“The bullet went through his stomach and it scratched part of the liver and it stopped on the other side of the belly, so they did a surgery yesterday and they took the bullet out,” Azimi’s father said.

The boy is expected to survive.

According to court documents, another suspect, who was not identified, fired the shot that hit the boy.

Police said Billups was “complicit in wanton behavior which showed great disregard for the value of human life and created a substantial danger of death or serious injury to numerous nearby citizens whom were on foot a short distance away.”

According to police, Billups and other suspects were seen on surveillance video.

Billups is scheduled to be arraigned on Saturday. — NNN-AGENCIES