Boy wounded in Fourth of July gunfire now in stable condition

A 6-year-old boy who was struck by a stray bullet while watching Fourth of July fireworks with his family in South Los Angeles was in stable condition Friday.

Fox 11 reported Bryan Ivan Robles Jr. is still hospitalized but his condition has improved after undergoing multiple surgeries.

The shooting was reported at 8:50 p.m. Tuesday in the 700 block of East 40th Place, according to Los Angeles police Officer Rosario Cervantes.

Neighbors told reporters at the scene that Bryan’s family was having a Fourth of July party and he other relatives were watching fireworks when Bryan suddenly collapsed after being struck by something that fell from the air.

Cervantes said the boy’s mother started to drive him to a hospital but then flagged down police officers, who summoned paramedics. Police ultimately determined Bryan had been struck in the head or upper body by a stray bullet.

Gunfire is a common problem during celebrations on the Fourth of July, when people often fire weapons into the air, despite regular warnings from authorities about the dangers of falling bullets.

Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho released a statement saying, “Our school community is heartbroken to learn that one of our youngest children, an elementary student, was struck by a stray bullet on the Fourth of July. What does freedom truly mean to us if it has been interpreted to allow rampant gun violence instead of our founding fathers’ ideals of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?”

Cervantes said their is no suspect information.

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