ST. LOUIS – A business owner is recovering in the hospital after he was struck by a stray bullet in a shooting nearby Thursday evening.

St. Louis Metropolitan Police are investigating the incident that occurred at the intersection of Vandeventer and Cottage Avenues around 7:40 p.m.

“You never know where that bullet is going to go,” Lois Pruitt, nearby resident, said.

Pruitt says hearing gunshots in her neighborhood has become a common occurrence. She originally thought the gunshots Thursday evening were firecrackers, and later learned the ambulance sirens were for an auto body shop owner down the street.

“That is sad because all he do is fixes cars,” she said. “It is really sad that he got shot, it is really sad.”

SLMPD said at least two individuals were shooting at each other. The business owner told police he heard gunfire, then felt a pain in his chest where a stray bullet hit him.

Pruitt sees a reminder of stray bullets every day at her home. Her and other senior citizen neighbors want to see more police presence in their neighborhood.

“We’re old and we don’t want to move, so I think that they need to start riding around and checking more and seeing what’s going on,” Pruitt said. “It is sad and we hear (gunshots) quite often.”