Inset: Ryan Hardy (Antioch Police Department). Background: The apartment on the 3900 block of Delta Fair Boulevard in Antioch, Calif. (KTVU/YouTube).
A tragic incident unfolded in California when an 11-year-old girl was shot in the head while seated in her father’s SUV, allegedly due to a misidentification by the shooter, who was targeting someone else.
Ryan Hardy, aged 23, surrendered to law enforcement officials earlier this week, as confirmed by a statement from the Antioch Police Department. The department released details of Hardy’s arrest.
According to the East Bay Times, Hardy faces several serious charges, including five counts of attempted murder and assault with a firearm. The charges emerged following thorough investigations.
The shooting took place on January 5th, when the girl was inside the vehicle with her father and three others at an apartment complex on Delta Fair Boulevard in Antioch. As the SUV was leaving the parking area, a bullet unexpectedly pierced the passenger side window, hitting the young girl in the head.
In the immediate aftermath, multiple 911 calls were made. Emergency responders quickly intercepted the family at a nearby shopping center, where they administered critical aid before transporting the girl to a local hospital. Thankfully, she was reported to be in stable condition.
Authorities concluded that the family was not the intentional target. Through witness testimonies, video footage, and forensic analysis, Hardy was identified as the suspect. However, his location remained unknown for some time. Police noted that several individuals had assisted Hardy in avoiding capture, complicating their efforts to apprehend him.
Then, law enforcement urged the suspect to surrender. On Monday, he did.
A GoFundMe posted for the girl and her family says their lives were “forever changed by a senseless act of violence.”
“Our 11-year-old relative was shot in the head inside her apartment complex,” the fundraiser posted on Jan. 7 reads. “She is currently in the ICU, where doctors are doing everything they can to help her recover and regain as much quality of life as possible. At this time, she is able to hear loved ones and respond by moving parts of her body when spoken to, but she has lost 100% of her vision.”
“Her road ahead is uncertain and will require extensive medical care, therapy, and long-term emotional healing. The trauma does not stop with her alone,” it added, mentioning that, before the suspect was arrested, “the family lives in constant fear of retaliation and no longer feels safe returning to their home.”
The father recounted the harrowing moments that his daughter was being treated at the hospital.
“She says, ‘Dad, why can’t I see?’” the father recounted in Spanish to The Daily Mail. “It hurts me so much. Those are words I don’t think any dad could handle.”
“My family is everything to me,” he added. “I feel like my heart is being ripped out.”
A lieutenant with the Antioch Police Department reportedly told the outlet that he briefly made eye contact with the shooter and did not recognize him.
Now, community members are grappling with the aftermath of a harrowing scene.
“She’s always out playing on her bike … throughout the day, you see their family there,” neighbor Donna Ford told regional Fox affiliate KTVU. “Now you see no one there. It’s kind of scary.”
Antioch is located in the East Bay region of California, about 45 miles east of San Francisco.
