Bounty hunter survives shooting while tracking down stolen vehicle in Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A Milwaukee bounty hunter who specializes in finding stolen cars was shot this weekend.

He's fine, but he's sharing a message for parents across the city. He wants them to keep better tabs on their kids.

"I felt it kind of hit me and I felt the hotness fall onto my pants and kind of went from there," said Ace Smith of GTA Recovery, describing being shot.

Smith wears a bulletproof vest while working. He said Milwaukee has got big problems right now, beyond the epidemic of stolen cars.

"They're shooting over things that aren't theirs," said Smith.

Violence is wracking the city. His was one of several non-fatal shootings this weekend.

Milwaukee police said they're up 97-percent so far this year.

"This is our future and right now our future is pretty much corrupted," said Smith.

He said he received a call over the weekend about someone breaking into cars. He headed over and saw a stolen car drive recklessly past him. He said he followed.

"He was doing the (stolen car) dance, he was doing pretty much everything that he can do, and I'm keeping my distance," said Smith.

Eventually, the car crashed.

"He got out, I see that muzzle, I drive off -- pop, pop, pop," said Smith.

Smith said he's been shot at before, but he said families need to do more now to get their kids under control.

"Be nosy, get in your kid's life, put a tracker on their phone, know where they're going," said Smith.

While Smith doesn't work with Milwaukee police, he encourages people to report stolen cars to them.