A 9-year-old Houston girl is left in a medically induced coma after being shot in the head during an alleged road rage accident. The family of Ashanti Grant is left devastated as their little girl remains at the hospital fighting for her life. Even though surgeons managed to remove one bullet from her head, her condition is considered “serious,” revealed her grandmother, Elaine Williams.
The shocking incident unfolded on Tuesday night a little after 9 p.m. when the young was on her way to a grocery store with her father, mother, and 11-year-old brother. While driving to the store, a GMC Denali pickup truck reportedly cut them off many times on the northbound lanes of the Southwest Freeway in southwest Houston.
“There are no more tears left. She’s the sweetest little angel.”💔 9 year old Ashanti Grant is in critical condition this evening. Police say somebody shot into her family’s car in a road rage incident last night while they were going to the grocery store. https://t.co/0xMgOOGYIa pic.twitter.com/6ycJR4kU5Q
— Pooja Lodhia (@PoojaOnTV) February 9, 2022
“The suspect driver got behind the family’s vehicle and someone inside the Denali fired shots toward the vehicle, striking the victim,” revealed a news release from Houston police, according to CNN. Williams shared that his granddaughter was the only one who got injured in the process. At the moment, the Houston Police Department only has a vague description of the driver, who has been described as a Hispanic man with short hair alongside a possible Hispanic woman seated in the passenger seat.
Authorities urged the public to come forward with any information regarding the incident. They have also offered a $30,000 reward for information that would lead to the arrest of the suspects. As for the family, they have set up a GoFundMe page to help cover the medical expenses of Ashanti who became a victim due to no fault of her own.
“Last night my niece 9-year-old Ashanti Grant was shot her head in a senseless road rage incident while headed to the grocery store with her family. She was rushed from the scene to Texas Children’s hospital in critical condition,” reads the page. “This will be a long road to recovery for her. Funds will be sent directly to her family to cover any medical/recovery expenses that she will need to get back to her life.” The page has raised just over $12,000 and has a long way to get to its $100,000 goal.
9-year-old Ashanti Grant is in critical condition at @TexasChildrens after being shot during a road rage shooting last night. Her family is asking for justice and for healing prayers. Full story at 10 on @abc13houston pic.twitter.com/BHPygjkK5V
— Briana Conner (@BrianaReports) February 10, 2022
Despite the heartbreaking reality, Ashanti’s grandmother remains hopeful that her precious granddaughter would survive. “I feel angry that this happened [and] sad. But I’m hopeful and I have faith,” she shared. The 9-year-old was, unfortunately, one of three children who were shot in the Houston area within the last week. On February 3, an 11-year-old boy was fatally shot right outside a Harris County apartment complex, per the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
A 13-year-old boy was shot multiple times just hours before Ashanti was hit. Thus last week, Houston officials announced their plan to fight crime and reduce violence by increasing police presence. “Since the beginning of the year, our city has felt anything but safe,” noted Mayor Sylvester Turner. “Unfortunately, the increase in homicides during the first month of 2022, including assaults on police officers and citizens is a sobering reminder that we must collectively strive for excellence as a community to combat our increasing crime challenges.”
Cover image source: GoFundMe | Ashanti Grant Roadrage shooting
