Editor’s note: This article has been updated to correct a witness’ description of the shooting.
A 3-year-old girl is “awake and stable” but still awaiting more surgery after in a drive-by shooting in Longmont last week.
According to the girl’s mother, Yudith Ruiz-Galvan, the toddler is going into her third surgery on Friday. Ruiz-Galvan is unaware of the exact details of the surgery, as the doctors at the local hospital have been rapidly working to treat the child’s injuries.
“I’m sad, I’m scared … I have a lot of mixed emotions but I’m staying strong for her,” said Ruiz-Galvan. “Itap very traumatizing.”
Ruiz-Galvan said her daughter, Alyahna, was playing when shots were fired from the street into Ruiz-Galvan’s brother’s bedroom at the Countryside Village mobile park home in the 1400 block of South Collyer Street.
“My brother, his girlfriend, and (Alyahna) were dancing in his room when there were gunshots,” Ruiz-Galvan said.
Ruiz-Galvan said she and her husband had left the house to quickly pick up medicine and Christmas presents for Alyahna when her car broke down at the local Walmart. While they were calling a mechanic, Ruiz-Galvan’s brother called, saying that there was a shooting in their neighborhood.
“He didn’t tell me it was (Alyahna ) because he was still in shock. When I arrived at home, I couldn’t see her because police were treating her… I didn’t find out exactly what was wrong until I got to the hospital,” said Ruiz-Galvan.
Officers were quick to the scene, and Ruiz-Galvan credited Longmont Master Police Officer Walter Arvisais’
Arvisais, with the help of two other responding officers, made use of the tailgate of one of their trucks as a platform on which to triage the girl with the aid of a portable medical kit.
Ruiz-Galvan isn’t sure when she can return home with her daughter, but Ruiz-Galvan has been by her side constantly since the girl was transferred to a local hospital.
“I’ve been (in Longmont) all my life and I never thought something like this would happen,” Ruiz-Galvan said.
According to a Longmont Public Safety release, police responded to the Countryside Village Mobile Park at 8:01 p.m. Wednesday. Police said a person in a dark-colored sedan fired multiple rounds into the home, and the girl was hit in her torso.
The shooter then fled the scene.
Witnesses described almost 30 bullet holes in and around the home, though police have not confirmed the amount of shots fired at this time.
Police have not announced any arrests or released any information on a possible motive for the shooting. Police have not yet said if the house was targeted.
The police are asking that anyone with information about last week’s shooting, including video surveillance in the area, contact Detective Sloan-Stogsdill at 303-651-8544 or Detective John Winship at 303-774-3698. When calling, reference case No. 23-11500. To submit any video evidence, visit longmontpd.evidence.com/axon/community-request/public/driveby.
To donate to the affected family, visit https://bit.ly/HelpingLongmont.
The Ruiz-Galvan family has also started a page at gofundme.com/f/raising-for-alyahna.
