An 11-year-old girl remains in stable condition at a Florida hospital with a bullet lodged in her head after a shooting in the parking lot of a McDonald's in Hallandale Beach. Doctors have advised the family that removing the bullet could cause even greater harm, according to a GoFundMe page set up by the girl's father's colleagues.
Innocent Bystanders Caught in Crossfire
Dora Belen Rivera and her father, Oscar Roman Miron, were sitting in a vehicle outside the restaurant on June 27 when their car was struck by gunfire. Miron was shot in the leg, while Dora sustained a critical head injury. Miron's wife had gone inside the McDonald's to get food, leaving him with their three children.
“Without warning, an altercation broke out between other individuals in the parking lot, and gunfire erupted,” read the GoFundMe page. “Oscar and his family had no involvement whatsoever in the incident.” The page noted that the couple's other two children were physically unharmed but witnessed the terrifying event.
Medical Update: Bullet Remains In Situ
Miron was treated and released from a hospital and is continuing his recovery at home. Rivera, however, remains hospitalized. She has undergone surgery, but the bullet remains in her head. “Doctors have advised the family that they are not removing the bullet at this time because doing so could cause even greater harm,” the fundraiser message states. “She continues to receive specialized medical care and faces a long road to recovery.”
Suspect in Custody
The shooter, identified as Ralph N-Kosi Blue, 18, was arriving at work at the McDonald's when he shot at someone running toward him, police told WTVJ. Surveillance video shows Blue walking in the parking lot, looking behind him, before another male gets out of a parked car and starts running toward Blue. Blue then pulls out a gun and fires shots as the other person hides behind a car. The other person fled, and Blue walked into the restaurant.
Blue faces two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill. He is being held at the Broward County Jail without bond.
