Girl, 4, Dies After Vehicle Struck By Gunfire: Police

TAMPA, FL—Tampa Police say a 4-year-old girl has died after being struck by gunfire while riding in a vehicle Sunday night.

Police say the shooting happened around 9 p.m. on East Hillsborough Avenue near North 43rd Street. Unknown suspects drove up next to the vehicle and began shooting, police say. The driver of the vehicle crashed into a pole and later discovered the child, her daughter, had been shot.

The girl was taken to an area hospital and later died.

Officials say the shooting could have been a case of mistaken identity. In a news conference Monday, TPD Assistant Chief Ruben Delgado urged anyone who may know something about the shooting to come forward.

"We need more," Delgado said. "We know people saw what happened, we know people were in the area when it happened. Those are the people we want to talk to. Those are the people we desperately need to call us and give us information."

Councilman Orlando Gudes, who represents the city's 5th District, said the tragedy was unexplainable.

"My heart, I don't know where it is right now," he said. "I got so many damn calls last night about a four-year-old being killed.

"I'm tired of hearing on Facebook, 'what are elected officials doing, (and) the police?' Damn it, it's time for everyone to put in the work, and get together, to do what we have to do to get these guns off the street," Gudes said.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor also asked people to give police more information.

"We know that violent crime has escalated across the nation, but we are not the nation," Castor said. "This is the city of Tampa. We are a very peaceful community. ...We have got to come together to stop this violence."