A seven-year-old girl has been fatally shot while in the car with her mum and younger sister.
The shooting took place at an intersection on General De Gaulle Drive in the neighbourhood of Algiers in the US city of New Orleans at 8.43pm on 26th December.
Dillan Burton was with her mother Maquisha Burton, 24, and six-year old sister Kennedi in the family car when someone opened fire at them at an intersection.
Maquisha said on Monday: “I was scared, I just heard the sound and tried to get away.”
She drove into the neighbouring area of Gretna and called the police, soon realising that Dillan had been shot.
The young girl was taken to a nearby hospital, but succumbed to her injuries.
Maquisha said: “Dillan didn’t deserve this. My baby didn’t deserve this. Jesus, why my baby? Why?”
One day earlier, the family had visited the victim’s great-grandmother in Algiers for Christmas and Dillan received a number of presents, including a new mobile phone.
Maquisha said: “She got her phone. She loved it. Dillan was the happiest person in the world with nobody to call but me and her daddy.”
The victim attended the Success Preparatory Academy at Thurgood Marshall in New Orleans and was a keen student.
The police are still trying to identify the shooter and Dillan’s family wants justice for the seven-year-old girl.
Her mother said: “I just want them to know they took somebody innocent, somebody who probably give them the shirt off her back. My baby would do anything for anybody.”
New Orleans mayor LaToya Cantrell said: “As a City, as a community, we reject this. How often have we said ‘one is too many?’ This one, alone, is too much. This child deserved better of us.
“Somebody out there knows who pulled the trigger. We need them to come forward. The NOPD is devoting the full force of our resources to holding this shooter accountable – and we will demand the same of our partners in the Courts and at the DA’s office.”
She added: “What can a seven-year-old have possibly done to be a victim of such a heinous crime?”
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help the family cover Dillan’s funeral costs that has reached over USD 23,000 of its USD 12,000 goal as of 28th December.
