SAN ANTONIO — The family of a 16-year-old shot at Uvalde Memorial Park Thursday evening says it's a miracle he's still alive.
Authorities blame the shooting on a gang dispute, including Gov. Greg Abbott. The family of Jose Javier Jimenez has a simpler explanation: He was "at the wrong place at the worst time."
Jose's sister, Melissa Jimenez, spoke to KENS 5 Friday outside the hospital where her brother remains in the ICU.
"They knocked on my door and said, 'They shot your brother in the head!'" Melissa recalled, saying her brother had left the house just a short time before.
Uvalde police say officers responded to the shooting at Uvalde Memorial Park around 5:30 p.m. Thursday. Jose, also known as "JJ," was shot three times.
"Once in the head, once in the arm and once in the ribs. The bullet broke his jaw," said Melissa Jimenez. "One of his lungs collapsed."
Authorities say the shooting stemmed from a months-long dispute between gangs.
"My brother is not a member of a gang," Melissa Jimenez said. "My siblings and I, we're very close. I would know if my brother was part of a gang because everyone in Uvalde would know."
She says her brother doesn't know the other people involved in the shooting. They may have gone to the same school, she said, but JJ never hung out with them.
"He was in the wrong place at the worst time," she said. "He went to play basketball. He was sitting in the truck with his best friend [when the shooting unfolded]."
Melissa said JJ wanted to switch to virtual learning at home for his junior year of high school in Uvalde.
"He was scared that he would get shot at school. They shot him, but it wasn't at school," said Melissa. "They shot him at a park where he went to play basketball."
As Melissa thought back to Thursday's timeline of events, she remembers unusual behavior by JJ's dog, Dexter.
"Whenever [my brother] leaves, the dog cries," she recalled. "But this time, he cried a lot. He wouldn't stop."
After learning about her brother's injuries, she wonders if Dexter knew his owner was in trouble.
Melissa echoes the sentiments of many Uvalde families in calling for changes to Texas gun laws.
"It's not fair for these young people to have such easy access to guns, especially if they're 16 or 17 years old," she explained. "In Uvalde, guns are being sold on Snapchat and Instagram."
Doctors told the Jimenez family the bullet was just centimeters away from killing JJ. He had his second surgery Friday and remains in intensive care.
"It's a miracle," said Melissa Jimenez, adding this isn't the first time her brother nearly lost his life.
When JJ was born, his pulse stopped. His grandmother was able to help revive him.
The Jimenez family set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for medical and lodging costs while they stay with JJ in San Antonio.
"Everyone knows JJ and sees him just like we do: The nicest person you could ever meet," his sister says. "He's fine being left with nothing just so he can help someone else."