An 11-year-old girl who was shot in the head while sitting outside a Florida McDonald’s has spoken for the first time after surgery.
Dora Belen Rivera was waiting in the car with her father and two younger siblings when an 18-year-old employee involved in a parking lot fight opened fire. Dora was hit in the head, while her father was injured in the leg. Her younger siblings were unharmed.
Doctors performed emergency surgery but decided removing the bullet would cause more damage, leaving Dora with a long recovery ahead.
Despite everything, her first words were filled with gratitude:
“Thank you for everything. Thank you to the police, firefighters, and doctors. It feels like I have another chance.”
Police say the family was not the intended target. The suspect has been charged, and the family is now focused on Dora’s recovery and rehabilitation.