Florida 10-Year-Old Killed by ‘Celebratory Gunfire’ on New Year’s Eve with Family: ‘It Hurts My Soul’
Yaneliz Munguia. (Photo: Johanna Sacasa/GoFundMe)
A tragic incident in Florida has left a family devastated after a 10-year-old girl was struck and killed by a stray bullet while celebrating New Year’s Eve. Police report that at 12:04 a.m. on January 1, Yaneliz Munguia was with her family near NW 27th Ave. and NW 21st St. in Northwest Miami when she was hit by celebratory gunfire.
The Miami-Dade Police Department expressed their heartbreak, stating, “This heartbreaking incident serves as a devastating reminder that what goes up must come down. Bullets fired into the air can take innocent lives.” Yaneliz was outside her apartment with her family, who were lighting fireworks when the tragic incident occurred.
The bullet struck her in the back of the head, and when Yaneliz collapsed, her parents discovered the gunshot wound. In a desperate attempt to save their daughter, her parents raced to the hospital, calling for help on the way. According to CBS News Miami, Hialeah Fire Rescue met them on the road and rushed Yaneliz to the hospital, but she was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.
While authorities continue to search for the person responsible for the stray bullet, Yaneliz’s family is grieving their profound loss. Her grandfather, Ramon Valdizol, expressed his sorrow, saying in Spanish, “Every time I came over, she was always happy to see me and now I can’t bear to enter their home and not be able to see her again. It hurts my soul.”
To help cover funeral and medical expenses, the family launched a GoFundMe campaign. Estephanie Gomez, who shared the campaign on Facebook, wrote, “Every contribution, no matter the amount, will make a huge difference to the family in need of all of us. Please donate and share this post.
Together we can unite and show that even in the darkest moments, solidarity and love prevail.” As of Thursday afternoon, the campaign had raised more than $29,000. Yaneliz, originally from Leon, Nicaragua, was remembered as “full of dreams and joy.”
Gomez added that the tragedy had left their family devastated and struggling. Yaneliz was a fourth-grade student at Melrose Elementary School, where a teacher fondly described her as “such a sweet, quiet little girl who was so nurturing to her little Kindergarten brother.”
The teacher, Murenne Philistin, wrote, “I can’t imagine what her family is going through.” The tragic loss serves as a somber reminder of the dangers posed by celebratory gunfire during New Year’s celebrations.
