A 13-year-old boy has been shot in the face after getting caught in a gunfire on his way back from a football match.
Ramiro was walking home with his friend when the pair found themselves in the middle of an alleged shootout between two drug dealers.
One of the bullets struck Ramiro in the face, shattering his lower jaw.
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Emergency services attended the scene and he was taken to an urgent care centre in Wilde, near Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Hours later he was transfer to a hospital in Florencio Varela due to the severity of his injuries on Friday (29 Nov).
Ramiro was diagnosed with severe mandibular trauma and placed in an induced coma.
An operation to rebuild his jaw, using an ultrasonic scalpel, wire, screws, and titanium plates, was carried out yesterday (Dec 4).
A 23-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the shooting.
He is charged with serious bodily harm aggravated by the use of a firearm.
Witnesses have identified Ramiro’s attacker as the neighbourhood drug dealer.
He reportedly lives around the corner from the crime scene.
Ramiro’s dad, Lucio Cruz, insists his son was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The 40-year-old told local media: “My son is really kind, good-natured, and generous. He doesn’t have problems with anyone and is loved by everyone.
“He enjoys being out and about, but he’s not the type of kid to do drugs or steal. He’s completely clean.”
After surgery, Ramiro faces a long road to recovery.
Medics will first need to see if his body accepts the prosthesis, as reported by Need To Know.
Then, he will need rehabilitation to regain mouth movement and, eventually, the ability to speak and eat again.
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