Father Of Shot Hayward Girl Explains Delay In Calling Help
HAYWARD (KPIX 5) – The father of a Hayward girl who was found shot while sleeping in her bed Thursday morning explained why it took hours before 911 was called.
The 10-year-old girl was recovering from surgery Thursday night, after a gunman shot at the family's home on the 27000 block of Tampa Avenue around 2:00 a.m.
Thursday morning's shooting left the front of the home littered with broken glass. Multiple bullet holes were visible in vehicles, walls and windows.
According to the Hayward Police Department, a female family member called 911 at 7:34 a.m., about five and a half hours after the shooting.
The girl's father, who did not identify himself, said he clearly heard some kind of noise at the time.
"I heard shots. I thought they were, I thought they were something else. It sounded like bulbs popping," he told KPIX 5.
Police questioned the girl briefly before paramedics transported her to the hospital for a bullet wound to the buttocks. The injuries are non-life threatening.
"How come we weren't called? We really need to know why we weren't called. If they were scared, (it's) understandable. But we still need to be out there to treat whoever we can treat," said Hayward Police Department Sgt. Mark Ormsby.
The girl's father said gunshots are fact of life in a neighborhood that police said is infested with gangs.
"We don't call the cops when you hear shots on the streets. I didn't know it was in front of my house and I didn't know my daughter was shot," he said.
The girl's father said he checked the room for bullet holes and didn't find any damage.
He told his wife and older daughter to examine the girl when they found blood on her sheets.
"I told them to check her and they said she was on her first period. She's 10 years old," he said.
Neighbors heard the shots. But police say they did not receive any calls until hours later.
"We don't want to get involved in none of these things," said neighbor Miriam Torres.
Pastor Chuck Horner with Calvary Baptist Church visited the scene Thursday night and said attitudes must change.
"That's why it happens. Nobody deals with it. And we need to stand up to this. Otherwise it's only going to get worse," he said.
"Everybody's going to judge. I'm not judging nobody. Those people who did this will have to deal with the Lord," said the girl's father.
The girl's father told KPIX 5 he does not why his house was targeted. Hayward Police are still investigating the case. No arrests have been made.
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