Girl, 4, killed in target shooting incident is identified

A 4-year-old girl who was injured in a target shooting incident Sunday died Tuesday.

The girl was identified by the Clark County coroner's office as Dayla Pizzoferrato of Las Vegas. The coroner's office did not release the cause and manner of her death.

Violet Pizzoferrato, who identified herself as Dayla's great-grandmother, broke down in tears Tuesday when describing the girl in a brief telephone interview.

"She was our precious little baby girl," Pizzoferrato said. "We lost something we loved more than anything.

"It was such a freak accident," she said.

Police said the girl was with relatives who were target shooting in the south valley desert near Sloan about 4:20 p.m. Sunday when she was injured. The relatives told police they thought the girl was injured in a fall from a truck, but a medical scan revealed metal fragments in her head, possibly from a bullet, Las Vegas police said.

Dayla was driven to an area near Interstate 15 and Las Vegas Boulevard, where she was airlifted to University Medical Center.

Bill Cassell, a police spokesman, said Tuesday that investigators plan to submit their findings to the Clark County district attorney's office, which will determine if any charges are warranted.

Cassell disclosed little about the case or how the girl was injured. He did say the investigation focuses on family members who were in the shooting party. According to initial reports, Dayla's father and grandfather were target shooting when she was injured.