A 10-year-old girl in Florida tragically lost her life after being struck by a stray bullet while celebrating New Year’s Eve with her family.
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Shortly after midnight on Wednesday, January 1, Yaneliz Munguia was with her family near NW 27th Avenue and NW 21st Street in Northwest Miami when she was struck by a bullet from “celebratory gunfire,” according to a statement from the Miami-Dade Police Department.
“This heartbreaking incident serves as a devastating reminder that what goes up must come down,” the department added. “Bullets fired into the air can take innocent lives.”
According to CBS News Miami, police report that the young girl was with her family outside their apartment, setting off fireworks, when she was tragically struck in the head by a stray bullet.
Per the outlet, when Yaneliz collapsed, her parents discovered a gunshot wound at the back of her head. In a panic, they rushed her to the hospital, calling for help along the way.
Hialeah Fire Rescue intercepted them en route and quickly transported Yaneliz to a nearby hospital. However, she was sadly pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
Authorities are searching for the person responsible for the bullet that killed Yaneliz. Meanwhile, her family mourns her loss.
“Every time I came over, she was always happy to see me. Now I can’t bear to enter their home and not be able to see her again,” Ramon Valdizol, her grandfather, told reporters in Spanish. “It hurts my soul,” he added.
A GoFundMe Has Been Established For Girl Killed by ‘Celebratory Gunfire’ During New Year’s Eve
Yaneliz’s family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the costs of her funeral and medical expenses. As of this writing, the campaign has raised over $52,000.
Authorities suspect the unidentified shooter may not have realized the bullet hit someone. They are urging anyone with information to come forward.
“This is a prime example of the dangers of shooting a firearm indiscriminately into the air,” Miami-Dade Detective Andre Martin told CBS News Miami. “We have a 10-year-old girl who lost her life at the beginning of the year.”
Meanwhile, a reward of up to $5,000 is available for information that results in an arrest.
“If you know anyone who was firing weapons into the air on New Year’s Eve, you need to come forward,” Detective Martin urged. “If you were the person firing into the air, you need to do the right thing. Accidents happen. This may not have been done on purpose, but you need to come forward and talk to detectives.”