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05th Jan 2022

George Floyd’s 4-year-old niece shot as she slept in “targeted attack”

Ellen Fitzpatrick

She’s doing well in hospital.

George Floyd’s four year old great niece has been shot while in bed overnight in her family home.

Arianna Delane was left with a punctured lung and liver and three broken ribs when the incident took place at around 3am on New Year’s Day.

She is expected to survive her injuries but was rushed to hospital by her parents where she underwent surgery.

The perpetrator is yet to be named by police and no motive has been given, but the family say they know who was responsible.

The shooting took place in Houston, Texas and is said to be a targeted attack, but the family have yet to comment any further.

Police arrived on the scene four hours after the attack at around 7am, and according to the family, the gunman opened fire on the home where four adults and two children were staying.

Arianna was asleep in her bedroom at the front of the house when the shots were fired, with her dad Derrick Delane telling ABC 13: “My daughter jumped up and said, “Daddy, I been hit”.

“I was shocked until I seen the blood and I realised my four-year-old daughter was really hit. She didn’t know what was going on. She was asleep.

“Why would my house get shot up? My daughter don’t know. I can’t explain that to her. As the father, you’re supposed to protect the kids.”

Derrick confirmed that his daughter was “healing very fast” and was “doing really great” and is recovering in hospital, adding that he hopes her injuries won’t affect her dream of being a dancer or cheerleader.

In a statement, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said: “I am aware and have concerns regarding the delayed response time in this incident and have initiated an Internal Affairs investigation.

“I ask the city 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.”

Arianna went to several Black Lives Matter protests in the aftermath of the murder of her great uncle George Floyd by Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin.