Parents Mistake Bleeding Gunshot Wound for Daughter's First Period

28.95K

Neetzan Zimmerman

09/23/13 08:11AM

Filed to: Honest Mistake

A young girl in Northern California who woke up early in the morning to discover blood in her underwear thought she had started her period, but it was later determined that she was actually bleeding from a gunshot wound she sustained during a drive-by shooting.

The parents of the 10-year-old girl phoned the family doctor around 2 a.m. last Thursday to report the bleeding and were told it was "consistent with menstruation."

However, when the girl awoke for school five hours later she was still in pain, and a search of her bed revealed bullet holes.

Upon performing a "full body inspection," the girl's parents were able to spot an entry wound in her pelvic region and phoned 911.

Doctors told investigators the wound was "rather small" and easy to miss, especially if there is reason to believe the victim could be starting her period.

Hayward police have yet to identify a motive for the shooting and say the family may have been targeted by accident.

[screengrab via CBS Bay Area]

The following replies are approved. To see additional replies that are pending approval, click Show Pending. Warning: These may contain graphic material.

Hellephant Neetzan Zimmerman 09/23/13 08:17AM

The new rite of passage into American womanhood.

Awful.

Malacoda, Recumbent on the Burning Sand. Hellephant 09/23/13 08:31AM

Beat me to it. At least first gunshot wound will effect boys and girls alike. (O_O)

elumere1 Hellephant 09/23/13 08:33AM

Ouch, yet so wonderfully worded..

WillaCatheter Hellephant 09/23/13 08:36AM

It's not even 10:AM and I'm ready to declare this Comment of the Day.

antoinettemarie Neetzan Zimmerman 09/23/13 08:22AM

I'm sorry, I know "girls have been starting earlier", but common sense tells you that 10 years old is pretty young and in general, it sounds abnormal. Early periods are usually very, very light and majority of the time first periods are not associated with crippling cramps. Just absolutely horrible.

mc_chicken_nuggets antoinettemarie 09/23/13 08:27AM

Both me and my sister started at 11. Both with horrible cramps. One of my old school friends started at 10, with horrible cramps as well. :/

janelejanele antoinettemarie 09/23/13 08:30AM

a.) I lived a few blocks away from this shooting back in the early 80s. Area had gangs around, but we kids always felt safe enough to play outside every day. I'm sure it's different now.

b.) My period started when I was 11, a year older than this girl. I also could have easily seen my mother mistaking this as my period starting, too, and she wouldn't have called 911.

Just stating facts; no correlation whatsoever.

AYS4074 mc_chicken_nuggets 09/23/13 09:09AM

One of my friends started at 9. At the time I am not even certain I knew what a period was. I look at my niece who is 8 and can't believe that someone so young would have to deal with such a thing...

Hikkilove antoinettemarie 09/23/13 09:09AM

actually some girls just start early. i started my period around 11 and my mom started hers even earlier.

jaimison Neetzan Zimmerman 09/23/13 09:44AM

can someone clarify how she was shot in a drive by but has bullet holes in her bed??

keverdene jaimison 09/23/13 10:26AM

They drove by the house. In the middle of the night. And shot at the house, which included her bed, and bedroom. Hence, bullet holes all over house and its inhabitants. That's what a drive-by is.

jaimison keverdene 09/24/13 09:46AM

OH! When I think of a drive by I think of both parties being in the car, especially when it doesn't say there were bullet holes all over the house and its "inhabitants". The whole thing is weird. But thank you for clarifying a drive-by it's much appreciated ;-) (enter sarcasm wherever you see fit)!

keverdene jaimison 09/24/13 09:55AM

Yeah, a drive-by is where the perpetrator/shooter is in a car, and the victim/target is not. Rarely is the victim even armed or aware the hit is coming. You "drive by" that person's house, or past them as they're walking down the sidewalk.

I don't know a whole lot about this stuff, but I'm pretty sure there's some other term for two people shooting at each other while both are driving. That's not really a preferred method of gang violence, I don't think.

The whole point of a drive-by is that you catch the victim when they're vulnerable or exposed, and you have the advantage because you have a car (quick getaway) and backup buddies with you (for an unfair fight). Also, there's often collateral damage when passers by or other non-driving parties get caught in the crossfire, as with this case. Hence the widely held view that drive-bys are a particularly cruel form of violence.

dontcallmemimi Neetzan Zimmerman 09/23/13 08:15AM

That moment on Gawker where you're debating saying something Awful But Funny (TM) or just wishing the victim well.

Opting for the second.

darkmstr dontcallmemimi 09/23/13 09:43AM

When something terrible happens but you can't help but laugh, I call those situations Awfularious.
Stupid, I know, but gets the point across.