5-year-old girl shot and killed on Northern California highway, authorities say

The incident was one of two shootings in the area.

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Monday, April 10, 2023
5-year-old dies following shooting on Milpitas freeway, CHP says
Authorities have confirmed a five-year-old girl has died following a shooting on I-880 in Milpitas on Saturday, the CHP said.

FREMONT, California -- A 5-year-old girl was shot and killed on a Northern California highway over the weekend in one of two shootings reported in the area.

It happened just before 7 p.m. Saturday in Milpitas, California, just north of San Jose.

The coroner's office confirmed the name of the child is Eliyanah, though authorities said her last name will not be shared at this time due to privacy and safety concerns.

She was taken to the hospital where she later died.

Audio obtained by our sister station in San Francisco details the call made to California Highway Patrol from the scene.

"I have a person who just drove up on me. Person has gunshot wounds."

Earlier Saturday, police in the neighboring city of Fremont announced there was a separate shooting at around 6:37 p.m.

A preliminary investigation revealed the shooting was gang-related and the victim wasn't injured.

Police in Santa Cruz then announced an arrest of three suspects. They said officers spotted a vehicle that was possibly associated with the Fremont shooting, which led to a pursuit.

Authorities said the suspects threw a gun out of the car that was later recovered with the help of a police K9 team.

Authorities have not confirmed if the two shootings are related.