A father whose 11-year-old daughter was tragically shot in the head while in a car has revealed the heart-wrenching question she posed to him while she was injured.
The incident occurred on January 5 when the girl, whose identity has not been released, was sitting in the family’s vehicle in the parking lot of an apartment complex, according to the Antioch Police Department.
After the shooting, she was swiftly taken to a children’s hospital in Oakland. She remains in intensive care, and a family GoFundMe page indicates that she will need ‘extensive medical care’ for an extended period.
In a brief conversation with the Daily Mail, the girl’s father recounted the distressing moment after the shooting when his daughter asked him, “Dad, why can’t I see?” as she lay bleeding.
The father, speaking in Spanish, expressed the depth of his pain, saying: ‘[It} hurts me so much’, and added: “Those are words I don’t think any dad could handle. I feel like my heart is being ripped out.”
Family members have shared that despite the medical team’s efforts, the bullet wound may have left her completely blind. Doctors are striving to help her ‘regain as much quality of life as possible.’
The family’s fundraiser mentions that the young girl can communicate, even in her condition. 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.’
Adding to the family’s trauma, the suspect responsible for the shooting remains at large, causing them to flee their home.
The GoFundMe page states: “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 family, who speaks Spanish, is described as ‘honest, humble, and hardworking’ people aiming to secure a safe future for their children in the United States.
As a consequence of their daughter’s shooting, they have had to abandon their home and relocate, disrupting their entire lives.
“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 authorities have identified 23-year-old Ryan Hardy as the suspected shooter through ‘video surveillance, witness statements, and forensic evidence.’ However, he remains at large and is considered ‘armed and dangerous.’
The Antioch Police Department investigators believe the family and the young girl were not the intended targets and are continuing their search for the shooter.