A sleeping toddler narrowly avoided death when a bullet struck her Baby Shark toy as a gun battle erupted in the street outside.
The three-year-old, named only as Aziyah, was dozing at home in Madison, Wisconsin, on November 24 when the shooting began.
Her shocked mum told WMTV the little girl had been playing with a toy shark around half an hour before the shooting started.
She said: "If the bullet would’ve came a couple more inches, it could’ve targeted her."
The woman desperately ran into her daughter's second-floor room to protect her when she heard the gunshots.
She said: "I didn't know where they were coming from and I didn't know what to do.
"I just pulled my baby by her arm on to the floor and I just covered her."
Outside, other bullets were flying into homes and parked cars.
Police later found 45 shell casings littering the street along with the bullet embedded in the toy.
Joel DeSpain, public information officer for Madison Police Department, said: "We believe this may very well be a record number of shell casings found after one incident of gun violence."
Police believe two rival groups were shooting at each other during the incident.
Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said: "It is the police department’s highest priority and we will continue to work with the police, community leaders and other criminal justice stakeholders to address gun violence in our community.
"Gun violence is not going to be tolerated in Madison.
"The people involved in this incident showed reckless disregard to human life, and we are fortunate no one was injured or killed. If anyone knows anything about this, it’s time to speak up."
