Featured Image Credit: KTVU FOX 2 San Francisco
Topics: Crime, California, US News, GoFundMe, Gun Crime
William Morgan
Topics: Crime, California, US News, GoFundMe, Gun Crime
A dad whose 11-year-old daughter was shot in the head while sitting in a car has shared the devastating five-word question she asked him as she lay bleeding.
The young girl, who has not been named, was seated in the family vehicle while it was stationary in a parking lot attached to an apartment complex on January 5 when she was shot in the head, Antioch Police Department has shared with the public.
She was rushed to Oakland's children's hospital for treatment and remains in intensive care following the shooting. According to a family GoFundMe, she is expected to continue requiring 'extensive medical care' for some time.
Speaking briefly to the Daily Mail, her father shared his little girl's heart-rending question in the seconds after the devastating attack, with the 11-year-old asking him while she lay bleeding: “Dad, why can't I see?”
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Speaking in Spanish, the dad said, remembering those desperate words: '[It} hurts me so much', adding: “Those are words I don't think any dad could handle.
"I feel like my heart is being ripped out.”
Despite the best efforts of medical professionals, relatives shared that it seems likely the physical damage caused by the bullet wound will leave her completely blind, though doctors are attempting to help her 'regain as much quality of life as possible'.
In their fundraiser, members of the family shared that the young girl has been able to communicate, despite her injured state. They said that she 'is able to hear loved ones and respond by moving parts of her body when spoken to, but she has lost 100% of her vision.'
Compounding the trauma of the terrifying incident for the six-person family, the suspect who fired the weapon that caused the young girl to be shot in the head remains at large. This has forced her family to flee their home.
The GoFundMe appeal added: "Because the shooter has not been taken into custody, the family lives in constant fear of retaliation and no longer feels safe returning to their home (Antioch).
"For their safety and for the well-being of all their children, they must leave everything behind."
The Spanish-speaking family were described as 'honest, humble, and hardworking' who were trying to create a safe and stable future for their kids by 'building a life in the United States'.
But as a result of their daughter's shooting, they have been forced to drop everything and move, leaving their entire life behind.
"This means leaving their home permanently, walking away from their income-earning jobs, and relocating to the Bay Area, where the cost of living is extremely high, all while remaining by their daughter’s bedside," the appeal explained.
Local officers have identified 23-year-old Ryan Hardy as the suspected shooter by using 'video surveillance, witness statements, and forensic evidence,' but have warned that he is still on the run and 'should be considered armed and dangerous.'
Investigators from Antioch Police Department believe that the family and the little girl do not 'appear to have been the intended targets' and are continuing their efforts to locate the shooter.