4-year-old girl playing, watching fireworks hit with stray bullet, Wichita police say

A 4-year-old Wichita girl watching Fourth of July fireworks was hit by a stray bullet that likely had been shot into the air as part of the holiday celebration, Wichita police spokesperson Juan Rebolledo said.

Police were at a hospital on a different case when they learned about another patient: a 4-year-old girl with a gunshot wound to her right arm. The girl’s injuries were serious but not life-threatening.

“The 4-year-old was admitted and is in stable condition awaiting surgery,” Rebolledo said in a news release Wednesday afternoon.

The shooting happened around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 1600 block of South Pattie, which is near Southeast and Harry. The girl was watching fireworks and playing with her neighbors when she was shot.

Rebolledo, in a phone interview, said there were no reports of shots in that area, so police suspect the bullet was fired in the air, possibly as part of the celebration, and came down and hit her.

“The Injury appears to be from a stray bullet strike,” Rebolledo said in the news release. “(Wichita Police Department) wants to reiterate the severity of the consequences when shooting a firearm into the air. The outcome of this incident could’ve been much worse than what had happened to this child, who was enjoying the festivities of the 4th of July. This reckless behavior exhibits a lack of regard for human life.”

Police are asking anyone with information about the shooting to call detectives at 316-268-4407, the See Something Say Something hotline at 316-519-2282 or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111. Callers can remain anonymous with Crime Stoppers.

This story was originally published July 5, 2023 at 2:13 PM.