She was just playing outside with friends. Now, an eight-year-old girl is paralyzed.
Police in Virginia say a group of men shot at a nearby car, hitting the child instead.
A cul-de-sac should be the safest place for a child to play. But for one young girl, a warm evening outside ended in a tragedy that changed her life forever.
WHAT HAPPENED
An eight-year-old girl was playing with her friends in Woodbridge, Virginia. It was around 7:00 p.m. on Gatehouse Terrace.
The kids saw four men walking down the street. The men wore all black, and some had on ski masks. The children joked and called them "gangsters," not knowing the danger nearby.
Police say the men had an issue with someone sitting in a parked car. One man fired many shots at the vehicle. A stray bullet missed the car and hit the young girl, leaving her paralyzed.
FACT BOX
- Location: Gatehouse Terrace in Woodbridge, Prince William County, Virginia.
- Time of Incident: Around 7:00 p.m.
- Victim: An 8-year-old girl now paralyzed by a stray bullet.
- Suspects: Four men dressed in all black, some wearing ski masks.
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WHY IT MATTERS
Parents should not have to worry when their kids play right outside their front door. This shooting shows how quickly street violence can harm innocent children who have nothing to do with it.
It reminds us of the heavy cost of gun violence on families and local neighborhoods.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
Police are searching for the four men involved in the shooting. They are asking anyone with information or security camera footage to come forward.
The young girl and her family face a long, hard path ahead as they cope with her life-altering injuries.
WHAT WE STILL DON'T KNOW
- Who are the four men who walked down the street in masks?
- Who was the target sitting in the parked car, and what was the fight about?
- Will the shooter face charges once police find him?