An 11-year-old girl remains in stable condition after a stray bullet from a parking lot shooting lodged in her head and cannot be removed due to the risk of further harm, according to authorities and reports. The incident occurred on June 27 outside a McDonald’s in Hallandale Beach, Florida.
Dora Belen Rivera and her father, Oscar Roman Miron, were sitting in their SUV waiting for food when gunfire erupted. Police stated that Ralph N-Kosi Blue, 18, allegedly fired shots at a person running toward him, inadvertently striking the girl in the head and her father in the hip.
Surveillance footage captured two men in the parking lot appearing to circle the family's vehicle and take cover as shots were fired. Screams were heard from inside the SUV, which sustained damage from the gunfire. The family was not involved in the altercation, according to a GoFundMe campaign established to support them.
Two other children, ages 2 and 5, were present in the SUV but were unharmed. Miron was hospitalized and later released, while Rivera underwent surgery. Doctors have advised the family that removing the bullet is too risky and could cause greater injury. She is receiving specialized medical care and faces a long recovery.
Blue fled the scene following the shooting but was apprehended two days later. He faces charges including two counts of aggravated battery and two counts of aggravated assault. He is being held without bond in the Broward County Jail. The McDonald’s restaurant confirmed that Blue is no longer employed by the organization and stated they are cooperating with the police investigation.