George Floyd's four-year-old great-niece has been shot in her bed during what is being described by the family as a "targeted attack" on her their home.
Suspects fired gunshots at the house just before 3:00AM on January 1. Arianna Delane was hit by bullets that punctured her lung and liver, leaving her with three broken ribs.
The four-year-old is related to George Floyd through her grandmother LaTonya, who was his sister. Floyd made headlines around the world in May 2020 when his death at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked global Black Lives Matter protests.
Police have yet to reveal a motive or provide a description of the attacker. Family members say they know who the shooter was but have not disclosed specifics.
Arianna's father, Derrick Delane, told ABC 13 that gunfire entered the second story of their south Houston home where six people (four adults and two children) were sleeping.
"My daughter jumped up and said, 'Daddy, I been hit,'" Delane recalled.
"I was shocked until I seen the blood and I realized my four-year-old daughter was really hit," he added. "She didn't know what was going on. She was asleep."
Arianna's mother drove her to the hospital, where she underwent surgery. The family reports that she has a punctured lung and liver and three broken ribs, but that her wounds are not expected to be fatal.
"She's healing very fast. The last time I checked on her she was breathing on her own. She was doing really great," said Delane.
Arianna has been pictured at several Black Lives Matter protests following her uncle's murder. Delane went on to say that he has reason to believe their house was targeted.
"Why would my house get shot up?" he asked. "My daughter don't know. I can't explain that to her. As the father, you're supposed to protect the kids."
Meanwhile, a separate investigation has been launched into delayed police response to the attack. The family claim that it took authorities - who did not arrive until 7:00AM - over four hours to respond to the incident.
'I am aware and have concerns regarding the delayed response time in this incident and have initiated an Internal Affairs investigation," Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said in a statement.
"I ask the city continue to pray for the child's full recovery and assist in providing information that would lead to the arrest of the suspect or suspects responsible," he added.