5-Year-Old Girl Accidentally Shot in Road Rage Incident, Leaving Bullet Stuck in Her Sippy Cup

A 5-year-old girl was accidentally shot during a road rage incident in North Carolina, authorities said.

The young girl, Ema, whose last name has been withheld for privacy, was allegedly shot in an apparent road rage incident in Cary. The shooter fired at her father’s vehicle, sending the bullet through her leg that then got lodged in her sippy cup, according to NBC affiliate WRAL.

“She’s just a bundle of joy, always smiling and playing and running around. Just an angel, honestly,” Aubree Allison, Ema’s aunt, told the outlet. “For something like this to happen to such a sweet and innocent child is heartbreaking.”

Ema has undergone several surgeries and will soon begin physical therapy to rehabilitate her leg, according to WRAL. PEOPLE has reached out to the Cary Police Department for a statement.

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Charles Edward Stevenson Jr., 20, was charged with discharging a weapon into an occupied property, The News & Observer reported. Court documents obtained by ABC affiliate WTVD on Monday, June 30, indicate that Stevenson Jr. discharged a firearm into a Ford F150 along U.S. 1 between the U.S. 64 offramp and Cary Parkway overpass.

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Stevenson Jr. was also previously charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, but this was later dismissed by the state. On Wednesday, July 2, his charges were upgraded.

District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said that, based on new information, the charges were upgraded to assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, inflicting serious injury, according to The News & Observer.

“One of your charges was dismissed as being recharged in a different way. And so, we’ll see you tomorrow,” said Judge Eagles. “At this time, you’re going to be held with no bond on this charge.”

Stevenson Jr. appeared in court again on Thursday, July 3. The judge denied him bond. His next court date is July 23.