An 11-year-old girl and her father were shot and wounded when gunfire erupted in a McDonald’s parking lot — with doctors saying a stray bullet lodged in the child’s head cannot be removed.
Dora Belen Rivera and her father, Oscar Roman Miron, were sitting in an SUV outside a Hallandale Beach McDonald’s on June 27, waiting for their order, when violence erupted in the parking lot, according to the Hallandale Beach Police Department and local reports.
Eighteen-year-old Ralph N-Kosi Blue, who was about to start his shift at the fast-food spot, allegedly opened fire at a person running toward him, striking the young girl in the head and her dad in the hip, NBC 6 South Florida reported.
Harrowing footage obtained by the outlet showed the two men frantically circling the family’s car and ducking while Blue allegedly fired off shots, with screams echoing from inside the bullet-ridden vehicle.
“Oscar and his family became innocent victims of a senseless act of gun violence while sitting inside their vehicle in the parking lot of a McDonald’s in Hallandale Beach,” a GoFundMe started by their family said.
“Oscar and his family had no involvement whatsoever in the incident.”
Two other children, ages 2 and 5, were also in the car at the time and miraculously were not hurt, police said.
The two victims were rushed to a local hospital, where Rivera underwent surgery and remains in stable condition, with the bullet from the shooting still buried 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 said, noting her father was released and is recovering at home.
“She continues to receive specialized medical care and faces a long road to recovery.”
A photo included in the GoFundMe, which has raised more than $12,000, shows the young girl in a hospital gown surrounded by family and first responders.
The alleged shooter, who fled the scene, was arrested two days after a tireless search and slapped with two counts of aggravated battery and two counts of aggravated assault, police said.
Blue is being held without bond at the Broward County Jail and has since been fired from McDonald’s.
“We are devastated by the shooting that occurred outside our restaurant,” Brad Ashlin, owner and operator of the McDonald’s location, told People in a statement.
“Our thoughts are with the father and young daughter who were injured, as well as their family during this difficult time. The individual reported to be involved is no longer employed at our organization.
“We will continue to support the Hallandale Beach Police Department, including providing surveillance footage and any assistance needed for their investigation.”
