In Tennessee, a tragic incident left a 2-year-old little girl fighting for her life after she was shot in the head by a pellet gun in her back yard.
Ariel Salaices was airlifted to a hospital, where doctors said she suffered a stroke shortly after the pellet got lodged in her head.
The toddler was playing outside with one of her brothers in their backyard, in northeastern Tennessee, when she was shot.
The shot came from a wooded area close to the family’s home, according to reports.
Ariel was struck as she was going down the slide. Her brother immediately ran inside to get their father.
Ariel’s dad grabbed his baby girl and rushed her to the nearest emergency room.
The toddler was then airlifted to a specialist hospital in Knoxville where she received treatment for her injuries.
“Ariel is a very spunky little girl. She’s sassy and she’s full of life. She’s definitely not one who wants to sit still,” Her aunt, Stephanie Brown, told ABC News.
Thankfully this brave little girl’s condition was stabilized, but neurologists still have to keep an eye on the pressure inside of her skull.
Johnson County Sheriff Edward Tester issued a warning concerning proper firearm safety stating:
“IF YOU’RE USING A FIREARM AND DOING TARGET PRACTICE OR HUNTING, MAKE SURE YOU’RE LOOKING BEYOND WHERE YOU’RE SHOOTING. BECAUSE THAT BULLET MAY NOT STOP WHERE YOU WANT IT TO.”
A GoFundMe page was set up to raise funds for the family’s travel expenses; Ariel’s parents are now out of work, according to the page.
Sheriff Tester made a personal appeal to the person responsible to come forward, adding, “I think with all this information out there, I think they know who they are.”
Investigators initially believed a stray bullet struck the little girl, but the later determined that the weapon was a pellet gun.
In May, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office said no charges would be filed as the shooting was determined to be a “tragic accident.”
A week ago, Christina Salaices, Ariel’s mother, released a statement on Facebook and said that Ariel would be moved to a Georgia hospital for treatment.
Let’s all pray for Ariel to have a speedy recovery!