A 9-year-old girl was struck by a stray bullet while gunfire erupted between a vehicle and people standing in a yard on East 14th Street in Hope, Arkansas, on Sunday. She was taken to a local hospital before being airlifted to another facility for further treatment. Three people, including a 14-year-old boy, now face charges in connection with the shooting.
Officers with the Hope Police Department were called to the 300 block of East 14th Street at approximately 12:56 p.m. on Nov. 1 regarding a shooting, according to hopeprescott.com. Investigators determined that individuals inside a vehicle traveling along the roadway exchanged gunfire with individuals standing in the yard of a residence. KATV reported that authorities were notified of the shooting just before 1 p.m. Sunday.
Girl Found Wounded Blocks Away
Responding officers found a 9-year-old girl suffering from an apparent gunshot wound at a residence in the 400 block of East 14th Street, one block from where the exchange of gunfire took place. Police said the child was not involved in the incident but was instead struck by a stray bullet as the gunfire unfolded nearby. She was transported to a local hospital for treatment and was later airlifted to another medical facility for further care, per the same hopeprescott.com account.
No update on the girl's condition following the airlift has been released. Three suspects were taken into custody in the aftermath: 18-year-old Angel Romero, 20-year-old Caden Brown, and a 14-year-old juvenile male, all of Hope. txktoday.com confirmed that all three were arrested after the girl was struck by the stray bullet during the shootout.
Charges Filed Against the Three Suspects
Romero was charged with discharging a firearm from a vehicle, according to hopeprescott.com's report on the arrests. Brown was charged with first-degree battery and a terroristic act, while the 14-year-old juvenile faces the same two charges of first-degree battery and a terroristic act. KATV's report noted that Romero and Brown are being held at the Hempstead County jail.
The Hempstead County Sheriff's Office inmate roster separately lists a Caden Jared Tyler Brown under booking number 20260868, charged with possession of a firearm by certain persons and simultaneous possession of drugs and a firearm. The evidence reviewed does not explain the relationship, if any, between those roster charges and the arrest stemming from Sunday's shooting.
Investigation Continues
Hope police said the investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges and arrests may be forthcoming, per hopeprescott.com's report. The case marks the second shooting in Hope this year to leave a juvenile girl injured; in July, the Hope Police Department investigated a separate shooting, reported by KATV, that left one man dead and a juvenile girl hurt.
