Young girl hit by bullet in south Sacramento shooting pronounced brain dead

The 3-year-old girl hit by a stray bullet while in her South Sacramento home Tuesday night has been pronounced brain dead by UC Davis Medical Center, officials said Sunday.

Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department deputies believe the girl, who has been identified only by her first name, Azalya, was inside the house Tuesday when the shooting occurred and that the shots were fired from near the street, Sgt. Shaun Hampton said. Witnesses said they heard a vehicle leaving the scene at a high rate of speed.

Authorities have not yet determined the motive for the shooting and do not have a description of the attacker.

UC Davis Medical Center spokeswoman Pamela Wu said in a statement that exams to confirm brain death must be conducted by two separate doctors at least 12 hours apart.

Azalya’s first exam was conducted on Friday at 11:50 a.m. and the second exam was conducted Saturday morning shortly after midnight, Wu said.

She is currently receiving organ support, which is commonly referred to as life support, Wu said.

“Like everyone, we have been terribly saddened about what happened to this young child,” Wu said. “Our caregivers send their thoughts to Azalya’s family following this tragedy.”

Family, friends and community members gathered in front of her home Friday evening to say prayers and make statements about the incident. Azalya’s aunt, Dorothy Stocker, led a prayer with Berry Accius, founder of Voice of the Youth.

“No family, no child, no human being should have to go through this,” Stocker said. “I just ask that everybody continue to lift this family up with prayer. We gotta pray for the world, y’all.”