A toddler was blasted in the face by a heartless gunman yesterday in front of her horrified family in the courtyard of their Staten Island housing project, authorities said.
Cops said 19-year-old Damark King was charged early Thursday morning in the shooting of Samyah Bailey, who turns 2 in December.
King, of Staten Island, was arrested in connection with the shooting on charges that include assault, criminal possession of a weapon, criminal use of a firearm and reckless endangerment.
The baby was in critical but stable condition after undergoing three surgeries at Richmond University Medical Center as doctors desperately tried to save her life and her eyesight. Sources said doctors needed to remove one of her eyes.
She was in her stroller at the Arlington Terrace Apartments, being watched by family members, including her father, Michael Bailey and uncle, Anthony Mahoney, when the thug walked up and started squeezing off rounds.
The bullet went through her head and exited between her eyes, her grandmother Patricia Mahoney, 43, told The Post.
Cops believe that the suspect had once dated Samyah’s mother — Stephanie Mahoney, 22 — and was angry at the uncle and father because they had intervened in a fight the couple had, according to sources.
A law enforcement source said there was an argument between the shooter and the mother of the child.
Sources said King and the baby’s mom may have been boyfriend and girlfriend at one time.
Once the fight erupted, sources said the baby’s uncle intervened. An enraged King left and returned a short time later with a 9mm, looking to shoot the uncle, the sources said.
When Mahoney and his Bailey saw the shooter and the shooter’s friend at the complex, they started fighting, sources said.
“While they’re tussling on the ground, [the girl’s father] jumps in and the shooter pulls out his gun to shoot at Mahoney.”
The shooter shot four times in the direction of the uncle and one of the rounds hit Samyah, the source said. “He turned the gun sideways – gangster style.”
As the baby was rushed to the hospital, she was screaming, kicking her feet and even tried to rip a tiny oxygen mask from her face.
“She’s feisty,” said the grandmother, who had to break the news to her daughter.
“It was the hardest phone call I’ve had to make,” said Mahoney.
“I told her, ‘You’ve got to come to the hospital, your baby’s been shot.’ ”