Sleeping 1-year-old baby in Florida struck by bullet in drive-by shooting

A baby is recovering after authorities in Florida say she was shot in a drive-by shooting as she slept in her home.

Pasco County Sheriff’s spokesman Kevin Doll said multiple shots were fired outside the one-year-old girl’s house in New Port Richey (around an hour north of Tampa) late Sunday.

On Monday, the child’s mother, Linda Exline, was arrested for possession of hydromorphone and oxycodone. Public records show that she has been arrested seven times prior in Pasco County since 2010.

READ MORE: Woman accidentally killed during ‘shoot/don’t shoot’ police simulation in Florida

Doll says the child was struck in the wrist. She was taken to a hospital and her condition isn’t thought to be life-threatening. Her name was not released.

Investigators say the shooting doesn’t appear to be random. In a news release early Monday, Doll said the child’s mother is a “documented gang member.”

“We think it was her involvement with that crowd that led to this drive by,” Doll told Global News.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We think it was her involvement with that crowd that led to this drive by," Doll told Global News.

According to NBC-affiliate WFLA, two other adults were in the home at the time of the shooting. One was also arrested on drug charges and the other is a person of interest in a shooting from earlier in August.

Neighbours said their street is generally quiet and family-friendly.

“It’s shocking to me. There are a lot of children who live on this street,” said Bridget Nixon.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's shocking to me. There are a lot of children who live on this street," said Bridget Nixon.

As for the suspect behind the shooting that injured the baby, Doll said they are still looking for them as the case remains under investigation.

View image in full screen

At a news conference Monday evening, Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said he wasn’t sure whether Exline was the target.

“It may not appear that she was, however the people that she associates with may have been,” he said.

Nocco also said that bullets struck the baby’s crib six times.

“If you don’t have faith, you better believe,” he said. “Because there were angels in that crib with that little baby.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "If you don't have faith, you better believe," he said. "Because there were angels in that crib with that little baby."

– With files from the Associated Press

Follow @jennynotjen