A New Year celebration turned tragic when 10-year-old Yanelis Munuguia was struck and killed by a stray bullet early on January 1, 2025. The little girl, who was celebrating the New Year with her family outside their apartment complex at NW 27 Avenue and 21 Terrace, collapsed after the bullet hit her.
Her family was lighting fireworks, with her surrounded by laughter and festivity, when the unthinkable occurred. A single bullet shot in the air by an unknown shooter came down and hit Yanelis in the head. Her father carried her to the family car and drove towards Ryder Trauma Center, calling 911. Shortly after they arrived, medical staff pronounced her dead.
Miami-Dade Police believe the bullet was fired during celebratory gunfire, a dangerous and illegal tradition in which people shoot into the air during festive occasions. As Detective Andre Martin addressed the risks:
“What goes up must come down,”
he urged the public to recognize the deadly consequences of such actions.
The police are still searching for the culprit behind this incident. Investigators have reviewed security footage and spoken to residents in the area, but the shooter has not been identified. Police have issued a plea for anyone with information to come forward, stressing the need to hold the shooter accountable.
The tragedy bears resemblance to many that have occurred nationwide after stray bullets have claimed so many lives. Last Fourth of July, a stray bullet hit and killed a 7-year-old boy in Tampa, while less than two weeks before last Christmas, an 11-year-old girl was paralyzed after a bullet pierced the bedroom window in her bed in Kansas City.
Celebratory gunfire is still a problem in many communities. Though laws exist on the books to ban the practice, enforcement is spotty and the danger remains. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that hundreds of people are injured or killed annually by stray bullets, with children often among the victims.
The community of Yanelis’ family and neighbors is already mourning her passing. Friends related to news reporters that this young girl, who loved drawing in all subjects she fancied in an upbeat mode and thought one day would aspire to become an artist, and perhaps even was aspiring with it with great conviction, had only had that wonderful idea for a draw to hang – of a warm Sun being beamed over Happy families-to also light at a humble Memorial entwining flowers and flickered lighted candles into every detail to remind people all round.
Where festivity should fill the air in this neighborhood, it is now filled with the opposite: silence and sorrow. The residents are trying to cope with the big loss of a young life, which they find hard to digest or comprehend.
The incident has revived calls for tighter gun law enforcement and public education on the dangers of celebratory gunfire. Community leaders are urging city officials to take a stronger stance to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
For Yanelis, the loss is immeasurable to her family. Yet, in their grief, they also hope someone can step forward with information to bring them the justice they deserve.
Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.
