A peaceful night turned into a terrifying nightmare for a 9-year-old boy when gunfire ripped through his home in the middle of the night

A 9-year-old boy in Atlanta was nearly shot to death while sleeping in his home over the weekend — with a bullet going through his back and into his leg, where it became lodged “close to a large artery” — during a drive-by shooting that saw his uncle return fire to “defend the family,” the victim’s aunt says.

“I was asleep,” the boy told local Fox affiliate WAGA on Saturday after being discharged from the hospital with the bullet still inside of him. “I was just crying because I was bleeding, and I didn’t know they were gunshots.”

The boy’s aunt, who asked to remain anonymous, said doctors told her the boy would be at risk of being paralyzed if they tried removing the bullet from his leg. He was shot early Saturday at around 3:45 a.m. by suspects in two different vehicles who were caught on surveillance video opening fire on his home.

“They said the bullet had went through his back and into his leg and the bullet is located close to a large artery, and if they removed it then he might not be able to walk,” the aunt said.

Footage obtained by WAGA shows the suspects pulling up on the child’s residence and stopping in front of it. They can be seen firing multiple shots at the home before speeding off in the two cars.

“My husband did return fire,” the aunt said. “We’re not sure if he hit anybody.”

At first, the family told WAGA they didn’t know whether anyone was hurt in the shooting, nor did they know if they were the intended targets. Another home that’s nearby has been targeted in multiple drive-by shootings, according to the aunt.

“Our house and the other house are identical,” she said. “My nephew, he was on the ground and I asked if he was okay, and he was bleeding from his back.”

Police say the boy was rushed to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta hospital after the shooting, where doctors were unable to remove the bullet from his leg. His aunt says they have to wait several weeks until they will know what to do.

“They have to give it a couple of weeks to monitor the bullet traveling so they can see if they can get him some surgery,” she told WAGA.