Boy Celebrates 5th Birthday in Hospital Months After Being Shot

A little boy who was critically wounded by a stray bullet in May celebrated his fifth birthday in a Texas hospital with family and police officers who responded to the scene of the tragic shooting.

Sir Romeo Milam turned 5 and his family threw him a party on Monday, Oct. 29 at the Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, where he continues his remarkable yet grueling recovery after undergoing nearly 30 surgeries.

“Romeo, he’s a fighter. At the end of the day, he’s going to make it. He’s going to be back to his normal self,” his mother Cocoa Milam said, according to Click2Houston.

Sir Romeo was shot while watching television at home with his grandmother.

Police said two groups of people exchanged gunfire on May 15, 2018, outside the Kings Row Apartments in Houston, and a stray bullet struck the little boy in the abdomen.

“As bullets sprinted out, the child laid, face down on the floor trying to shield himself from harms way,” the boy’s family wrote on a GoFundMe page set up to assist with medical expenses. “It wasn’t until his mother and grandmother notice a bullet strayed hitting four-year-old SirRomeo, leaving him in a pool of blood.”

Responding officers kept the critically wounded child alive in the back of their cruiser until an ambulance arrived to rush him to hospital. The Houston Police Department has since been following Sir Romeo’s recovery.

“The officers and command staff have been checking on him regularly since the shooting,” tweeted the Houston Police. “The search for the shooter continues.”

On Monday, officers who brought Sir Romeo to the hospital came to his birthday party. Sgt. Corey Harrington and Officer Evan Schrock talked about the sense of urgency on the day of the shooting and reminisced about the boy’s road to recovery.

“It was just very important to get him to safety and to help,” said Harrington.

“He’s always been asleep when I try to see him, so it’s really great to see him up,” Schrock said.

Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo joined the two officers at Monday’s celebration, Fox26 reported. “It’s a blessing and they’re the heroes as are the folks who transported him in the ambulance and the doctors and nurses that have worked with him here,” said Acevedo.

The Houston Police tweeted about the progress the boy had made on his road to recovery: “Everyone is very happy to see Sir Romeo’s improvement.”

Sir Romeo is now able to walk unassisted.

“It’s amazing thinking back to the first night he got here to how far he’s come,” said Michael White, a physician’s assistant on Sir Romeo’s medical team, according to Click2Houston.

“One more video—because who doesn’t want to see a superhero showing off his birthday wheels!” the Houston police tweeted.

“I have children of my own and I couldn’t imagine being on the other end of that. So just having him here to celebrate, with his favorite character, because I also love Batman. It’s great,” said Hamilton, according to Fox26.

No arrests have been made in connection with Sir Romeo’s shooting.

Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible.