An 11-year-old girl is fighting for her life after being shot in the head by a stranger while she was a passenger in her father’s car.
The tragic incident unfolded on Monday afternoon as the family was departing the Delta View Apartments located on Delta Fair Boulevard in Antioch, which is situated northeast of San Francisco, according to local authorities.
Police have identified Ryan Hardy as the suspect who allegedly fired indiscriminately at bystanders, with one of the bullets tragically penetrating the car’s rear windshield and striking the young girl.
As medical professionals at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland work tirelessly to save her, the girl’s father recounts the heart-wrenching moment she spoke her first words after the incident.
“She asked, ‘Dad, why can’t I see?'” he shared emotionally in Spanish. “The pain of hearing those words is something no father should have to endure.”
The Antioch Police Department reports that the shooting took place around 12:40 p.m. in the apartment complex’s parking lot.
The girl was sitting in the front passenger seat as her father drove to the store when, without warning, the gunfire rang out.
Investigators say a bullet tore through the back windshield, pierced the headrest, and struck the girl in the back of the head.
Police are seen gathering evidence after an 11-year-old girl was shot in the head at an Antioch, California apartment complex
The wounded child was rushed to a nearby shopping center parking lot, where officers rendered emergency aid before she was transported to the hospital with assistance from the Contra Costa County Fire Department.
The girl’s father, who has not been publicly identified due to safety concerns, said the shooting has left him numb with grief and fear.
‘My family is everything to me,’ he said. ‘I feel like my heart is being ripped out.’
Relatives say the child can hear loved ones speaking to her and can respond by moving parts of her body, but she has lost all of her vision.
Her aunt Anahi Ramirez described the pain of watching her niece struggle in intensive care.
‘I’m still in shock. I can’t believe everything that’s happened. It’s very difficult,’ she said.
Ramirez said she has been lighting religious candles at home and praying for a miracle.
‘It’s tough because I’m her Godmother, her aunt,’ she said. ‘I’m the sister of her dad. We’ve always been united. It’s very hard to see her like that.’
Police have identified the suspect as Ryan Hardy, 23, and say he should be considered armed and dangerous
Police have identified the suspect as Ryan Hardy, 23, and say he should be considered armed and dangerous.
Authorities said Hardy was identified through a combination of surveillance video, witness statements, and forensic evidence.
Investigators are urging the public not to approach him and to call 911 immediately with any information about his whereabouts.
Police also warned that anyone who helped Hardy evade arrest, or who may assist him in the future, could face arrest as an accessory. The investigation remains ongoing.
Lt. Bill Whitaker of the Antioch Police Department said the father briefly made eye contact with the shooter but did not recognize him.
With the suspect still at large, the family says they no longer feel safe returning to their home.
‘I’ve felt a little unsafe because I’m not the first victim there,’ the father said, calling for increased security at the apartment complex.
The shooting occurred on Monday in the parking lot of the Delta View Apartments in Antioch
According to a GoFundMe campaign launched by relatives, the family now plans to leave Antioch permanently for safety reasons, abandoning their home, jobs, and their community in the process.
Three other children in the family are also struggling with the trauma.
The fundraiser states the girl’s recovery will require extensive medical care, therapy, and long-term emotional healing, with doctors unable to predict how much function she may regain.
‘This family is honest, humble, and hardworking,’ the campaign reads. ‘They never imagined needing to ask for help, but they now face impossible circumstances.’
More than $7,500 has been raised so far to help cover relocation costs, lost income, emergency living expenses, and ongoing medical needs.
