26 March 2024 , 10:03
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A terrified schoolgirl thought she was going to die when she was 'shot in the head' during a day out with friends.
Amelia Palmer, 13, was walking near a bridge in her home town of Middlesbrough when she felt something strike her head, causing her ear to ring and her body to jolt. Amelia, who is a year nine student at Trinity Catholic College, said she saw two figures holding a gun in the air just before the scary incident. She then felt liquid running down her face and realised it was blood when she touched it.
In a panic, she called her mum Joanne Saunders for help. Pictures taken after the incident show Amelia's hair stained with blood and marks on her face where the blood had run down. Her mum Joanne rushed to the scene as soon as she heard what happened.
Joanne, 43, told Teesside Live: "She was walking up the black path - towards Ladgate Lane - and when she got a bit away from the bridge she noticed two lads down there with a gun. She said they had the gun facing up in the air. I asked her what it looked like, because I thought it might be a BB gun, and she said it was a long gun. They started to walk along and she felt something hit the side of her head.
Amelia Palmer in the aftermath of the incident (Submitted)"She said 'mum, I felt dizzy, I thought I was going to die.' She said her ear was ringing and she jolted when it hit her. She then felt something running down her face and when she touched it and looked at her hand, she saw blood." In a panic, Amelia quickly decided to ring her mum on a Snapchat video call to ask for help. "My legs went from under me," Joanne said, remembering the moment.
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"I couldn't think straight. I was running around looking for my car keys and me and her dad drove down to pick her up." Joanne said they jumped straight in the car while Amelia's friends took her to Overdale Road. Joanne continued: "I jumped out of the car and said: 'Who's done this? ' She was in a bit of shock and was panicking. We didn't know how deep it had gone."
Joanne admitted that she wanted to find the people who did this to her daughter - but the first priority was to look after Amelia and make sure she was safe. She was taken to the James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, on Sunday evening to get checked over.
Amelia said she thought she was going to die (Submitted)"It's disgusting," she added. "Amelia never goes out - her friends always come here or they go to a friend's house. Police came to the hospital last night. I think I went through every type of emotion." It's believed that there is one CCTV camera near the bridge. Donna Jones, an independent councillor for Berwick Hills and Pallister, has recently voiced her worries about the need for better security along the path.
Cleveland Police has been contacted for more information.