Reedley Beach shooting victim talks with Action News

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The family of a woman injured in a shooting is speaking out for the first time after a suspect opened fire Sunday at Reedley Beach.

Police said Gilberto Alanis, 34, was killed and family members say Makalita, 26, was shot in the head. Investigators originally thought Makalita was related to the victim who was killed. But her family said she has no connection to other victim or the suspect and was an innocent bystander Sunday night. A tragic scene Sunday night at a Reedley park.

"My sister said she heard a lot of big gunshots everybody just ducked down," said the victim's sister Hinemoa.

Witnesses at the scene heard yelling before at least ten shots were fired. One of those bullets nearly killed Makalita.

"My son in law would be left with my three grandchildren. And I would have one child less," said the victim's mother Sylvia.

Makalita and her family don't want us to say their last names out of fear of the suspect will retaliate. But they say the mother of three small children was just hanging out at the beach with her family, when a bullet flew through her jaw and lodged in her neck.

"The doctor says it was a miracle because literally it stopped right there so just a tiny bit more and he said it's a miracle that she didn't bled out and died," said Sylvia.

Her jaw is now broken but she should fully recover.

"She's okay but she's alive and she could talk a little bit so you know you're blessed because somebody died and that man had kids and a wife," said Hiemona.

Three people who were strangers are now connected by murder.

Investigators said they do have a suspect and a description of the car. But they aren't releasing any details at this point.