Suspect In Shooting Of 11-Year-Old Surrenders

ANTIOCH, CA —A man suspected of shooting an 11-year-old girl in the head in an Antioch parking lot is in custody after turning himself in.

Ryan Hardy, 23, surrendered to the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office on Monday, several days after the shooting, according to Antioch police Lt. Bill Whitaker.

The shooting happened Jan. 5 in the Delta View Apartments parking lot at 3915 Delta Fair Blvd.
Investigators say Hardy fired at the family as they left for the grocery store.

Police said the suspect fired toward the family's SUV, carrying the 11-year-old girl, her parents, her baby sister, and a 7-year-old cousin. A bullet pierced the rear window, passed through a headrest, and struck the girl in the head.

The girl remains hospitalized with the bullet still lodged in her head. “She is stable, starting to regain her sight, and can walk,” Whitaker said in a press statement. “It will be a long road of recovery, but she is alive.”

Whitaker described the shooting as a case of mistaken identity. After reviewing video evidence, investigators determined no one else was in the area at the time. “The suspect shot at the moving vehicle, believing it was possibly somebody else,” Whitaker said.

Antioch police said Hardy’s surrender came after a week of negotiations. He now faces attempted murder charges, with bail set at $2.9 million.

The case is expected to be filed with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office this week.
Anyone with information related to the incident should contact Antioch Police Detective John Cox at (925) 481-8147 or email jcox@antiochca.gov.