Appalling reason woman shot seven-month-old baby in the leg on Philadelphia street

The appalling reason a Philadelphia woman shot a seven-month-old baby in the leg has been revealed, with one lieutenant calling it 'mind-boggling.' 

Dominique Billips, 28, was arrested Friday for the July 18 shooting and was formally charged with three counts of aggravated assault, reckless endangerment of a person and other offenses, Lt. Dennis Rosenbaum said at a news conference. 

He then revealed that she was apparently upset over a '$100 narcotics debt,' and may have intended to shoot the baby's father.

'Sometimes the things we see are mind-boggling,' Rosenbaum said at the news conference, according to USA Today. 

'People get so angry, they always resort to nonsense. I just don't understand it.'

Dominique Billips, 28, allegedly shot a seven-month-old baby in the leg because she was upset over a '$100 narcotics debt'

Billips was identified as the shooter by witnesses after police released surveillance footage from the scene of the shooting at around 5.52pm last Thursday in the Holmesburg neighborhood of Philadelphia.

The footage shows a woman slowly walking up to the couple on the side before raising her gun just feet away from the mother. 

The child's father takes off sprinting after the first shot was fired. She fires a second shot toward the father, before turning toward the mother and firing one more, then leaving. 

She then shouted, 'F**k your baby, b**ch,' after the mother cried out in agony, 'my baby,' CCTV footage shows. 

When police arrived at the scene, they found evidence of gunfire, but no victims.

They later learned that a baby in a stroller had been shot in the right leg, and was brought to a local hospital in a private vehicle.

A woman - who has since been identified as Billips - was caught on surveillance footage shooting a mother and the baby in a stroller 

Police then tailed Billips on Friday, with detectives approaching her before she could get into a vehicle also caught on surveillance footage.

They then obtained search warrants for both of Billips' addresses and found one extended magazine, 11 live rounds and other ammo, and she was subsequently arrested, Rosenbaum said.

Police now believe Billips was actually targeting the baby's father, with Rosenbaum saying she had gotten into an argument with the child's parents shortly before the shooting.

The mother then left with the child, and the father was on his way to join them - but he did not know the shooter was following him.

'You see in that video, she really points the gun at the mother of the baby, who's also a juvenile and fires. Luckily, she misses,' Rosenbaum said.

'A seven-month-old baby isn't going to remember that, but it's always going to be out there. That story's always going to be out there.' 

Both parents fled the scene after the shooting and a neighbor brought the baby to the hospital for treatment. The baby's father was later detained by police and both parents were questioned 

It is also believed the parents did not remain on the scene following the shooting, because there was a warrant out for one of their arrests on a non-violent crime.

The baby was instead transported to a local hospital by a neighbor.

'When I found out the baby was seven months and both parents said they have warrants. They got out of the car and I took the baby,' he told NBC Philadelphia.

'I just felt like I had to protect this child. It was overwhelming. It was scary. This person came up and didn't care with no remorse and just fired and walked away like nothing happened.'

It remains unclear what the family of three were doing in the Holmesburg neighborhood, as they do not live in the area. 

But the baby's father was later detained by police and both parents were questioned.