6-year-old wounded by stray bullet during July 4th festivities is now in stable condition

A six-year-old boy who was struck by a stray bullet while celebrating the 4th of July with his family in South Los Angeles is now said to be in stable condition Friday.

The family of Bryan Robles Jr. said during the festivities something from the sky "hit him" and he collapsed to the ground. The boy's mother started to drive him to the hospital but then flagged down a police officer who called a paramedic. 

Robles was transported to the hospital just after 8:50 p.m. Tuesday. 

Robles had been in critical condition, and after multiple surgeries, he remains hospitalized but in stable condition as of Friday morning.

As the Los Angeles Police Department responded to the scene in the 700 block of East 40th Place Tuesday evening, they questioned witnesses in the area, trying to determine if the projectile that hit the boy was debris from a firework, or possibly a stray bullet -- as some people shoot into the sky during 4th of July celebrations.

Doctors reported Wednesday morning that a bullet struck the boy. 

Homicide detectives continue to investigate the incident, interviewing witnesses. They are treating the case as assault with a deadly weapon. 

Some people in the area said they could not determine the difference between the noises of fireworks and the sound of shots being fired.

Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent, Alberto Carvalho, tweeted about the incident, saying in part: "What does freedom truly mean to us if it has been interpreted to allow rampant gun violence instead of our founding fathers' ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?"