Distressing news is being reported out of Houston after local stations began sharing that a four-year-old was shot on New Year's Day. There were celebrations worldwide as people were ushering in 2022, and as fireworks typically erupt during this time, so do gunshots. It is unclear if this incident was due to a targeted attack or someone shooting a firearm celebratorily, but four-year-old Arianna Delane was reportedly injured. It is said that she is the niece of George Floyd who was killed by former police officer Derek Chauvin.
According to reports, Derrick Delane, Arianna's father, said they were at their apartment when gunshots entered and struck Arianna as she slept in a bedroom.
"My daughter jumped up and said, 'Daddy, I've been hit' and I was shocked until I seen the blood and I realized my 4-year-old daughter was really hit," Delane told reporters. "She didn't know what was going on. She was asleep." She was driven to the hospital by her mother where doctors found that Arianna had "a punctured lung and liver and three broken ribs," reported ABC 13 News.
Thankfully, doctors were able to act quickly to help the little girl and Arianna survived her injuries following surgery. As authorities continue to search for a motive or suspects, Delane questioned who could be so callous as to shoot at his home. He does, however, believe that they were targeted.
"Why would my house get shot up? My daughter don't know. I can't explain that to her. As the father, you're supposed to protect the kids," said Delane. He added, “She’s healing very fast. The last time I checked on her she was breathing on her own. She was doing really great."
Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said in a statement, "I am aware and have concerns regarding the delayed response time in this incident and have initiated an Internal Affairs investigation. I ask the city continue to pray for the child's full recovery and assist in providing information that would lead to the arrest of the suspect or suspects responsible."
