ST. LOUIS — For several days now, 26-year-old Sabrina Thomas has been in a lot of pain, and it's no fault of her own.
"I never really thought something like this would happen," Thomas said.
Thomas told police around 9 p.m. Sunday she and a friend rode down the 3300 block of Chippewa in south St. Louis when they heard three gunshots.
"It sounded like fireworks, but then I figured it probably wasn't that," Thomas said.
She was right.
A fourth shot then rang out.
"Surprisingly, I was kind of calm because I really didn't know what happened and that's when I called 911, " she recalled during an interview with 5 On Your Side's Robert Townsend Thursday.
The Florissant woman saw the rear passenger window of her friend's red Nissan shatter.
"I got a couple of gashes from the glass," Thomas said.
Two car seats suddenly ripped and a stray bullet hit Thomas in the back of her neck.
Her puppy, Teddy, was on her lap at the time.
"My whole neck started to become really numb and It felt like pain was going through the top of my head," she remembered.
"I was literally in shock. I was just worried about my daughter," she said.
Sabrina's uninjured friend drove to nearby Gravois Road, where they waited for police and paramedics.
Paramedics took Thomas to Saint Louis University Hospital for treatment. She said right now the bullet is still lodged in her neck. Doctors don't want to remove it because it's too close to her spine.
"I think it's just so sad," said Vickie Thomas, Sabrina's mother. "You can't even go anywhere now. I can say that bullet is not going to stop Sabrina. She's a very strong person and she's going to do whatever she puts her mind to. We also realize that police may never find whoever did this."
As a result of the shooting, the young freelance model and private bartender now cannot work.
She's relying on her family and faith to get through the uncertain time.
"I think something needs to be done. St. Louis is becoming a really violent, violent place. I also think this was terrible and people need to be more responsible of what they're doing and know the consequences of their actions. I'm very thankful to be here with my family. Just trying to take it day by day," said Sabrina Thomas.
Thomas said she and her friend didn't see anyone or cars near them when the gunshots rang out, so police do not have any suspects.
St. Louis police asked anyone who may have witnessed anything to call them.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with Thomas' recovery and medical bills. To donate, click here.