Minn. girl, 9, killed by stray bullet while playing on trampoline

A Minneapolis, Minnesota girl was playing with her friends when she was hit by a stray bullet.

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Trinity Ottoson-Smith, 9, was fatally shot while jumping on a trampoline. She passed away on Thursday from her injuries, weeks after she was initially shot, per WCCO.

The young girl was rushed to North Memorial Health Hospital after suddenly being struck by a bullet on May 15 in North Minneapolis. She was attending a friend’s birthday party, per People.

No one else was harmed at the party.

“For the last 12 days, she fought for her life and today that fight ended,” John Elder, a Minneapolis Police spokesman told reporters. “At 4:04 p.m., she was pronounced deceased at the hospital.”

Officers are saying the shooter fired at a residence from an alleyway that was close by, and that one of those bullets hit Trinity.

Officers are urging the public to come forward with information.

“They were shooting through a group of five kids that was out there, and they hit my baby,” said Trinity’s father, Raishawn Smith, per WCCO before she passed away. “I’ve been here every day. I go up periodically, I pray over her, I talk to her, bring her things, let her know that I’m there.”

A GoFundMe was started to support the girl’s hospital bills, now the funds will go toward her funeral.

According to the fundraising site, the young girl loved making TikTok videos.

“Unfortunately, Trinity passed away yesterday afternoon. We will all miss her,” wrote the page’s organizer.

Initially the page stated:

“My daughter Trinity is a beautiful, compassionate, kind and loving 9 year old. On Saturday (5/15/21), she was shot in the head while playing on a trampoline with friends in North Minneapolis. She did not deserve this. She has plans to change the world. She wants to be a teacher. She loves making Tik Toks, doing art, doing makeup, playing Roblox with her friends, playing with her siblings, going on adventures, riding her bike, playing soft ball and basketball and doing gymnastics. She has been my shadow. Everyone who knows Trinity loves her. We need all of the support, help and prayers that we can get. ❤️.”

At the time of this story’s publication, the page was about $3K shy of its $50K goal.

Trinity is the third child to be shot in the head in Minnesota in the past month.

On May 17, Aniya Allen was shot in the head while in a car coming home from McDonald’s.

She passed away days later.

“They’re shooting and they’re hitting the wrong people. They shouldn’t even be shooting out here anyway,” said Latonya Allen, Aniya’s grandmother. “Maybe she’s in a better place than this wicked world.”

Ladavionne Garrett Jr., 10, was also shot in the head on April 30 while riding in a car with his parents. He is currently hospitalized and still fighting for his life.

“He didn’t deserve this, I can tell you that,” said the boy’s father, Ladavionne Garrett, per WCCO. “I ain’t never pictured this ever in my life.”

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A GoFundMe has also been created to support his expenses.

So far this year 185 people have been shot in Minneapolis. The count is up nearly 150% compared to this time last year.

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