Connecticut Family's Cat Killed by Stray Bullet After Drive-by Shooting: 'We're Devastated'

News 12 CT

A Connecticut family is mourning the loss of their beloved pet.

Over the weekend, a feline was killed when a stray bullet from a drive-by shooting went through the window of a home and struck the cat while she was sleeping, according to a report from ABC 7.

Taking place at West Main Street in Norwalk around 11:15 p.m. local time on Sunday, the cat's owner was at her residence with her boyfriend and 13-year-old son when their pet - 15-year-old Cali - was killed.

"I thought it was fireworks or firecrackers too close to the house, and then I heard a thump," the owner told the outlet. "I came out to the living room to see what it was, and I saw the cat on the floor. She was flailing all over the floor. I thought she was having a seizure, and then I saw she was bleeding, so I realized they were gunshots, not fireworks."

"We're devastated because we've had our cat for 15 years," she added. "But it could have been worse, a lot worse. It could have been a human. It could have been anybody."

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According to ABC 7, there were nine bullet holes on the cat owner's apartment building exterior. Several of the bullets went through the cat owner's apartment walls, and another bullet, the outlet added, went through the walls of a nearby residence and burst a pipe.

In a Facebook post from the Norwalk Police Department, authorities said that they "immediately responded to the area and learned that just after the shots were heard, a vehicle was heard screeching its tires and leaving at a fast rate from the area."

It's not currently known if the shooter was standing on the street or firing from a car at the time of the incident.

The department's Detective Bureau has since taken over the investigation and authorities are now asking for help in the case. They are also looking into the possibility that the shooting could be related to other recent incidents that involved gunfire.