BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) – Another tragic school shooting in the country that killed and wounded educators and students is top of mind for a Bronx teacher.
Jhairo Colon feels lucky to be alive after being shot in his Fordham classroom. He was not targeted; rather, it was by a stray bullet. He was forced to sit out the start of the school year to recover at home after being hit through his sixth-floor window on Wednesday.
"It's unfortunate what happened to me, but I'm glad no kids were there," Colon said.
Colon, 33, and his paraprofessional were preparing for their students at PS 391 in the Bronx when a single bullet shattered the window. The bullet hit the special education teacher's palm, requiring seven stitches.
"I'm thankful to be alive; that's all," Colon said.
It happened inside the public school building off Webster Avenue. The NYPD says they are following a path to the shooter.
"The shot came from a long-range outside, not a block distance," said NYPD Chief of School Safety Tracy Mulet. "I can tell you detectives have already figured out the trajectory."
The gun violence is rattling parents' nerves, as on the same day, a teenage gunman shot 11 people in a Georgia high school, four of whom were killed.
"I could have been one of those too, but God had different plans," Colon said.
That stray bullet grazed the 8th-grade teacher of seven years.
"Just think how much more tragic that could have been," said David Banks, DOE Chancellor.
Banks says all of it highlights the ongoing battle against gun violence, especially near NYC school corridors.
"Police and legislators are working on ways to take guns off the street. It's very unfortunate, and I'm happy it wasn't worse," Banks said.
Colon says he will reflect on this timeless lesson when he feels mentally and physically ready to return to school.
"We can solve our problems with words, not with bullets."
The NYPD has not made any arrests in this case.
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