Girl, 10, Killed by ‘Celebratory Gunfire’ in Florida During New Year’s Eve with Family, Say Police

Mar. 15, 2025

Yaneliz Munguia.Photo:Johanna Sacasa/GoFundMe

Johanna Sacasa/GoFundMe

“This heartbreaking incident serves as a devastating reminder that what goes up must come down,” the department said. “Bullets fired into the air can take innocent lives.”

When Yaneliz fell to the ground, her parents found the gunshot wound in the back of her head. They then jumped in a car and raced to the hospital while calling for help, according to CBS News Miami.

Hialeah Fire Rescue met them on the way and rushed Yaneliz to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead shortly thereafter, CBS News Miami reports.

While authorities search for the person whose bullet killed Yaneliz, her family is mourning her loss.

“Every time I came over, she was always happy to see me and now I can’t bear to enter their home and not be able to see her again,” her grandfather, Ramon Valdizol, told reporters in Spanish. “It hurts my soul.”

Yaneliz’s loved ones started aGoFundMecampaign to raise money for her funeral and medical expenses.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

In a post on Facebook telling well wishers about the GoFundMe,Estephanie Gomez wrotein Spanish that “Every contribution, no matter the amount, will make a huge difference to the family in need of all of us. Please donate and share this post. Together we can unite and show that even in the darkest moments, solidarity and love prevail.”

Yaneliz, from Leon, Nicaragua, was “full of dreams and joy,” Gomez wrote. “This tragedy has left our family devastated and facing an extremely difficult situation.”

Yaneliz was a fourth grade student at Melrose Elementary School, a teacher at the schoolwrote in another Facebook post.

“She was such a sweet, quiet little girl who was so nurturing to her little Kindergarten brother," wrote Murenne Philistin. “I can’t imagine what her family is going through.”

Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-8477.

source: people.com