BABCOCK RANCH, Fla. (WBBH) — 16-year-old Kaia Barrett lies in a hospital bed for the third straight day after suffering severe burns and other serious injuries from a targeted fireworks attack.
“My daughter said she saw the guy. He was smiling. That keeps playing over and over in her head. The look on his face when he lit the firework and threw it at them. ” Kaia’s mother, Ambry Barrett, said.
Ambry said Kaia and three of her friends were targeted in a fireworks attack on Friday. Around 9:20 p.m., the girls were driving a golf cart on Saw Palmetto Parkway in Babcock Ranch when a silver car sped toward them. A teenage boy reportedly threw the box into the cart. The girls immediately noticed that it was smoking. They jumped out of the car before it hit a nearby tree.
Two girls were taken to the hospital. Their families shared photos of them with bruises and burns all over their bodies. I heard that the driver broke his leg and that his epilepsy returned as a result of the accident.
“She’s hurt. In fact, she’s been to the hospital a couple of times for seizures because of this. It’s insane,” Ambry said.
Ambry said her daughter Kaia is finally conscious today. She suffered a fractured skull and a brain bleed. She also has cystic fibrosis, but hasn’t taken her medication since Friday because she can’t eat.
“So what do we do now? Now, do we have to worry about her lungs? I’m so angry,” Ambry said.
Ambry can only hope that the people who did this are held accountable and realize the physical and emotional harm they caused.
“If they could have seen her crying and seen her in pain and seen her in the street. And I can’t forget how she was holding her head and screaming. That would be terrifying. If you have a child and you see that, there’s nothing you can do. And I wouldn’t wish that on anyone because I know they have underlying conditions.” Ambry said.
LSCO said multiple units are working on this active investigation. CCSO also partners with them.
No arrests have been made yet.
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