LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — A nine-year-old girl with special needs who was shot after getting off the school bus in Lafayette, is in stable condition. She was hit by gunfire, during an argument between two people on Tuesday afternoon.
The girl’s grandmother, Anna Bob, says the bullet went through the girl, and hit her liver. Her lung collapsed. She went through surgery. She’s now recovering at Ochsner Lafayette General.
“I’m numb, confused, not understanding why this could happened during the day with kids getting off the bus,” said Bob.
Bob says her granddaughter was getting off the school bus at the Oakview Apartments on East Simcoe Street. She was walking in the door when she was hit by a bullet.
“It doesn’t make any sense. If you’re upset with somebody, go to that person. Don’t start shooting randomly. It could hurt anybody. A bullet has no name,” said Bob.
Lafayette Police say two people were arguing in the 2500 block of East Simcoe, when one person pulled a gun and started firing. The girl was an innocent victim.
“I heard the kids get out of school,” said neighbor Charles Richardson. “I came upstairs. I came in the house. I put my chain on my door. I opened the door. I went back here to mess with my chicken. Later on, I heard one shot. I thought a tire busted. Then I heard continuous shots and I hit the floor.”
The bullets hit the apartments closest to the road. One of the bullets hit Richardson’s door frame, went through the wall, and into the next apartment. He saw the little girl after she was shot.
“The bullet hit her and went through. They took her and put her in the ambulance. I hope she’s alright. I see her all the time. I give her candy. That’s all they do. They’re kids,” said Richardson.
It’s too early to determine what the shooter will be charged with, but it’s clear that this shooting was careless and reckless. Lafayette Police say they are aggressively pursuing this case, especially due to the victim being a child.
If you have any information that will help detectives track down the people responsible, please call Lafayette Police.