George Floyd's 4-year-old niece shot at home on New Year's Day
A 4-year-old girl is recovering after she was shot in a Houston apartment on New Year's Day. Arianna Delane's family told CBS affiliate KHOU that she is the niece of George Floyd, who was murdered by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in May 2020.
Delane was sleeping in the apartment when someone opened fire just before 3 a.m. Another child and four adults were also in the apartment at the time of the shooting.
On Tuesday, Houston police said they are investigating the incident. They do not have a suspect description or a motive for the shooting in which at least one person fired several shots into the apartment. Though the department did not name Delane, they did confirm a 4-year-old victim was shot in the torso.
"She was transported in a private vehicle to an area hospital where she underwent surgery and is currently in stable condition," the police said.
A friend of the family's told KHOU that the girl had a punctured lung, punctured liver and three broken ribs, and that she walked for the first time since the shooting on Tuesday.
Police have been criticized for their response to the incident after Delane's father, Derrick Delane, told KTRK-TV that they didn't arrive at the scene until 7 a.m., more than four hours after the shooting occurred.
"My daughter jumped up and said, 'Daddy, I've been hit' and I was shocked until I seen the blood and I realized my 4-year-old daughter was really hit," he told KTRK. "She didn't know what was going on. She was asleep."
Derrick Delane said that his daughter's mother drove her to the hospital.
Houston police chief Troy Finner said he is opening an investigation into the matter.
Statement from Police Chief @TroyFinner regarding the January 1 shooting of a 4-year-old female at 3322 Yellowstone Boulevard.
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) January 4, 2022
More info https://t.co/FlMEizyzl3#HouNews pic.twitter.com/IsTwVM9UMl
The 4-year-old's aunt created a GoFundMe to help with expenses related to the incident, saying that the family is looking into relocating after the shooting.
"Our family has been through so much since the [passing] of George Floyd," Tiffany Hall wrote. "We're asking for our community to come together with prayers and support as we undergo another life changing tragedy."