HOUSTON – The start of a new year was the start of a nightmare for 28-year-old Bianca Williams.
After celebrating New Year’s Eve at her townhome on Yellowstone Boulevard in Houston’s southside, Williams, her 4-year-old daughter Arianna, her one-year-old son, and their father, Derrick Delane, were finally sleeping peacefully when they heard gunshots just after 2 a.m.
“We heard shots coming into the living room and the upstairs bedroom. I remember hearing Arianna’s dad Derrick say, ‘They’re shooting.’ And Arianna jumped up and said, ‘Ow, I’ve been hit.’ She was covered in blood,” Williams recalled during an exclusive interview with KPRC 2 anchor and reporter Syan Rhodes.
Williams said she grabbed her daughter and ran downstairs while at the same time frantically calling 911.
“(I) contacted HPD (but) no answer,” she said.
Williams drove Arianna to the hospital herself, and doctors told her she got her child there just in time.
Arianna was then transported by Life Flight helicopter to Texas Children’s Hospital. She suffered from three broken ribs, a punctured lung and liver, and it turned out, COVID-19. She was in an intensive care unit for one week, unable to breathe on her own. She needed three blood transfusions.
“I just couldn’t believe it. It was overwhelming,” Williams said.
Although the 4-year-old is back at home healing, she still has a long road ahead.
“Arianna is traumatized. She doesn’t sleep by herself. She hears loud noises and she’s scared,” Williams said.
Nearly six weeks later, the family still has questions about why Houston police didn’t show up at the scene until several hours later.
“I called at 2:30 a.m. We called seven to eight times. They arrived four to five hours later. The sun was up,” Williams said.
Williams’ aunt LaTonya Floyd also wants answers.
“Five hours? Really? That’s no good. Somebody has to be held accountable,” Floyd said.
A spokesperson for Houston Police told KPRC 2 that the investigations into both the delayed response and the shooting are ongoing.
“I don’t feel safe. I feel like my city has failed me,” said Williams, who is seeking legal assistance in her quest for justice.
With each news report of another child victim of gun violence, Williams relives her own pain.
“I know how these mothers feel. Some mothers are not getting their kids back. No parent, nobody should have to go through that. We need to protect our kids,” she said.
Williams said she’s turning her pain into her purpose with the start of #AriStrong, a non-profit that will help support families who were victimized by gun violence and find solutions.
“I created Ari Strong to help families who’ve been through traumatic experiences like myself. Nobody talks about what we go through when we go home and we’re still mothers, we still have to be a parent. Mentally it’s draining, emotionally it’s draining,” she said.
You can learn more about #AriStrong here.
Those who would like to help with Arianna’s medical expenses can donate here.