Miracle in Tampa: Florida baby shot in the womb survives 

A baby girl who survived a gunshot wound before she was even born is being lauded as a “miracle child” — as a testimony of her resilience to live despite having had a close brush with death. 

Key Takeaways:

• A baby girl survived after being shot while still in the womb.

• Both mom and baby miraculously survived the attack and are recovering in the hospital.

• The man responsible for the shooting, Eric Patterson, claims it was an accident, though police allege it was intentional.

The Details:

Family members have confirmed that the baby’s mother is recovering, while the baby is still in hospital.

“Her name is Eternity. And we call her E-Miracle. Because she was a miracle baby,” said Priscilla Odoms, the baby’s grandmother. “She has a feeding tube in and she hasn’t been able to hold down food. But she’s doing better.”

“[The baby's mother] breaks down a little bit. But she’s OK,” Odoms said.

Meanwhile, authorities in Hillsborough County have charged 44-year-old Eric Patterson, a 15-time convicted felon, for allegedly shooting the baby and her mother. The bullet struck the woman in her abdomen, and then hit the preborn baby girl still in her womb.

The baby’s mother was dropped off at the emergency room of Brandon Regional Hospital after she was shot. 

Subsequently, hospital staff started emergency surgery to deliver the woman’s baby, who was airlifted to Tampa General Hospital. The baby is still in the pediatric intensive care unit, as per the sheriff’s office, also adding that the baby’s mother has been discharged. 

Patterson called Odoms after he allegedly shot the baby’s mother (Odoms’ daughter).  

“He said he had the gun, the gun went off and hit her in the stomach. He said, ‘It wasn’t on purpose, it wasn’t on purpose. The gun went off. The gun went off. Ma, I didn’t mean to do that’,” Odoms recounted. 

Zoom In:

For his part, Patterson told police he shot his girlfriend by accident, a claim that was disputed by the judge overseeing his case: “The chances of that occurring accidentally while she was laying in bed and Patterson was standing nearby fiddling with a firearm are not zero, but they are astronomically low.”

The judge singled out four features indicating that Patterson had purposely targeted his girlfriend, such as hanging up after calling 911, escaping after leaving his injured girlfriend at the hospital, discarding the gun, and lying about his whereabouts to the police. 

Nonetheless, Odoms maintained that she got along with Patterson, saying: 

He wasn’t a bad guy. And, you know, he looks like he’s a bad guy because all these charges that he had.I’m just angry with him. But I can forgive him because they lived.

She’s a great mother. And I just want Eternity to get the care that she needs and be able to get back home with her family. That's all we want.

Odoms also called on the community for help with hospital expenses and therapy for her daughter and other four grandchildren.

The Bottom Line:

Sheriff Chad Chronister called the baby's survival a miracle.

“What could have ended as a heartbreaking tragedy is now a miracle story of survival and resilience. Our detectives worked tirelessly to locate the suspect, and I am grateful he is now in custody. It is truly extraordinary that both the mother and her newborn baby survived. Their strength in the face of this tragedy is a powerful reminder of why we remain committed to protecting every family in our community.”