3 arrested after stray bullet hits 9-year-old girl in Hope shooting

HOPE, Ark.–Three people, including a 14-year-old, have been arrested after a 9-year-old girl was struck by a stray bullet Sunday afternoon when people in a vehicle and people in a yard exchanged gunfire on East 14th Street, the Hope Police Department said.

Officers were called at about 12:56 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, to a shooting in the 300 block of East 14th Street, according to a police news release. While they were responding, they received a report that someone had been shot in the 400 block of the same street.

At a residence in the 400 block, officers found a 9-year-old girl with an apparent gunshot wound, police said. Investigators determined the shooting started in the 300 block, where people inside a vehicle traveling along the street exchanged gunfire with people in the yard of a residence. The girl was not involved and was hit by a stray bullet, police said.

The girl was taken to a local hospital and later airlifted to another medical facility for further care, according to the release. Police did not release her condition.

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The following arrests were announced:

• Angel Romero, 18, of Hope, charged with discharging a firearm from a vehicle.
• Caden Brown, 20, of Hope, charged with first-degree battery and a terroristic act.
• A 14-year-old boy, charged with first-degree battery and a terroristic act. His name was not released because of his age.

Police said the investigation is continuing and additional charges and arrests may follow. The charges are allegations, and the people arrested are presumed innocent unless convicted.

"The Hope Police Department takes incidents involving gun violence very seriously, particularly when innocent bystanders, including children, are placed in danger," the release said. The department also sent its "thoughts and prayers" to the girl.