George Floyd’s 4-Year-Old Niece Suffers Punctured Lung, Broken Ribs After Being Hit By Stray Bullet

On New Year's Day, George Floyd's 4-year-old niece suffered a punctured lung and liver, along with three broken ribs, after she was hit by an alleged stray bullet in southwest Houston, sending the young girl to a hospital for emergency surgery.

According to police, the family identified the child as Arianna Delane. Her father, Derrick, recalled that their apartment in the 3300 block of Yellowstone Boulevard in Texas was hit several times by gunfire just before 3 a.m. on Jan. 1.

Four adults and two children were home at the time of the incident but only Arianna, who was asleep in the front bedroom, was shot, the New York Daily News reported.

"My daughter jumped up and said, 'Daddy, I've been hit.' I was shocked until I saw the blood and I realized my 4-year-old daughter was hit," Delane said. "She didn't know what was going on. She was asleep."

The girl's mother would hastily drive the child to the nearest hospital, where the staff was quick to assist. Arianna immediately underwent surgery and was stabilized by her doctors, who confirmed the girl has a punctured lung and liver and three broken ribs from the ordeal.

On Tuesday, Houston Police Department (HPD) said they do not have a suspect or motive in this case. However, the Delane patriarch claimed he had reason to believe their home was targeted.

Reports would reveal that the 4-year-old Arianna played a key role at the marches and rallies in Floyd's case. Floyd's death in police custody on May 25, 2020, sparked an avalanche of protests, including the infamous #BlackLivesMatter movement across the nation, The News and Observer noted.

"Why would my house get shot up?" the father said. "My daughter doesn't know. I can't explain that to her. As the father, you're supposed to protect the kids."

By Tuesday afternoon, HPD Chief Troy Finner announced that an Internal Affairs investigation into the department's response time to the shooting had been launched. According to Arianna's father, the cops didn't arrive until 7 a.m. or more than four hours after the time of the incident.

At this time, HPD also cannot provide a timeline of events due to the ongoing probe, according to ABC13.

"I am aware and have concerns regarding the delayed response time in this incident and have initiated an Internal Affairs investigation," said Finner in a statement. "I ask the city to continue to pray for the child's full recovery and assist in providing information that would lead to the arrest of the suspect or suspects responsible."