The family of an 11-year-old girl in China who lives with shotgun shrapnel embedded in her body has asked the police to reopen the investigation into the “accidental” shooting.
Eight years ago, while just a toddler, the girl, known as Xiaotong, from Yunnan province in the southwest of the country, was shot by a neighbour, according to the news outlet New Yellow River.
The shooter, surnamed Zhou, was 22 years old at the time and told police that he had borrowed the shotgun from his friend and was checking the weapon, which he had never used before.
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He said he carelessly pulled the trigger, thinking he could not hit Xiaotong, who was several metres away.
Shotguns contain metal pellets called “shots” and spray metal balls over a wide range when fired. A total of 27 of the shots hit Xiaotong, and she was rushed to the hospital.
Doctors were able to remove four pellets and some additional shrapnel from the girl’s head and spine. They could not extract the other 23 pieces scattered in her lung, back, leg and kidney due to Xiaotong’s tender age.
The girl’s family reported the case to the police in 2017, and Zhou was briefly detained.
However, police dropped the case in 2019, saying Zhou fired the gun by accident and Xiaotong’s injuries were deemed not serious enough for a harsher penalty.
However, the girl has struggled in the eight years since the accident.
“The metal pellets are distributed across Xiaotong’s body. When it rains or the temperature drops dramatically, her wounds ache and she will often cry from the pain,” her brother, using the alias Xiaohui, told the mainland media outlet New Yellow River.
The youngster struggles to exercise and her breathing is impaired by the shrapnel, which negatively impacts her disposition.
“We have had to consider her mood carefully through the years,” said Xiaohui.
In January, the long-term impact of the shooting prompted the family to ask the police to reopen the case.
After paying 50,000 yuan (US$7,000) towards the girl’s medical bills, Zhou has refused to provide more money, pleading poverty.
Xiaotong said her only wish is for her family to be able to afford more surgery to remove the remaining fragments from her body.
“I hope I can eventually grow up healthy like other children my age,” she said.
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