LAUDERHILL, FLA. (WSVN) - Lauderhill Police are responding to a case at Florida Medical Center where an 8-year-old girl arrived with a gunshot wound.
According to preliminary reports, the young girl was sitting in the back seat of a car while her mother was driving north on Northwest 56th Ave. and Sunset Boulevard, Monday.
During their drive, firecrackers and gunfire type sounds were heard.
The mother told police that she did hear those sounds and then looked back at her daughter when she noticed that her child had an injury and was bleeding from her leg.
The mother immediately took her child to Florida Medical Center for treatment and was then taken to Broward Health Medical Center.
An initial investigation showed that a projectile passed though the base of the door, which stuck the child in the leg.
The child suffered a non-treating injury and is expected to make a full recover.
Lauderhill Police are still investigating the incident.
This is not the first time a child was injured due to a stray bullet being fired during a Fourth of July celebration.
Last year, 7-year-old Jason Fuentes was swimming in his family’s Fort Lauderdale pool when a bullet fell from the sky and struck his arm.
“Something hit my arm, and I was like, bleeding a lot,” said Jason.
In 2020, a father was hit in the leg while celebrating in Lauderhill with his children.
“He was popping fireworks right there, and then a bullet came on my dad’s leg,” said the father’s daughter.
Reverend Jerome Sterling’s niece was killed by a bullet back in the 1990’s. He’s been working to stop it ever since.
“No more stray bullets,” said Sterling. “Let’s stop the violence. Celebrating Fourth of July is not with a gun. It’s just not.”
Officials urge people every year on the Forth of July not to shoot guns in the air as a part of their celebration because those stray bullets can cause harm and can be potentially deadly.
“Always remember that what goes up will always come down,” said an officer.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Lauderhill Police Department or Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
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