Just awful.
According to a press release from the City of Houston, a 4-year-old girl was shot while she was asleep in her bed at around 3 a.m. on New Year’s Day. She since been identified as George Floyd’s grandniece. Detectives A. Carroll and J. Roberts revealed in a statement:
“A suspect or suspects fired several shots into an apartment at the above address as four adults and two children were inside the apartment. One of the children was struck in the torso. She was transported in a private vehicle to an area hospital where she underwent surgery and is currently in stable condition.”
Stable condition! At least there’s that.
Additionally, the investigators noted that there were no suspects or motives for the shooting at this time.
Related: Blind Woman Reported Husband Missing — Police Found He’d Been Shot Dead In Their Home
While police have not identified the child yet, a close family friend Tiffany Cofield confirmed to the Houston Chronicle that the little one was related to Floyd. Her name is reportedly Arianna.
The child’s father, Derrick Delane, claimed to KTRK-TV that law enforcement didn’t show up at their home until four hours after the shooting and arrived at the scene at 7 a.m. WTF?! Floyd’s sister, LaTonya, told KRIV that first responders also took too long to reach the residence, and her dad ended up driving Arianna to the hospital himself. The poor girl suffered from a punctured lung and liver, along with three broken ribs. On Tuesday, Police Chief Troy Finner wrote on Twitter that the department has launched an investigation into the delayed responses, saying:
“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.”
What a shocking failure. One could say George Floyd himself was also a victim of the failure of law enforcement — though obviously his case was far worse. During an arrest for allegedly trying to pass a counterfeit $20 bill, four cops held him at gunpoint and an officer named Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for nearly 10 minutes until he asphyxiated and his heart stopped. Chauvin was found guilty of murder for his role in the arrest, and Floyd’s name and final words — “I can’t breathe” — became a rallying cry for Black Lives Matter.
Sadly in this Texas community on this night, it seemed Black lives still didn’t matter nearly enough to first responders.
We’re wishing Arianna a speeding recovery at this time.
[Image via KPRC 2 Click2Houston/YouTube]
The post George Floyd’s 4-Year-Old Grandniece Shot While Asleep In Her Bed — And Cops Took HOURS To Show Up! appeared first on Perez Hilton.