Say 23-year-old Ryan “Hardy should be considered armed and dangerous”

Share more details about girl still in stable but critical condition

By Lt. William Whitaker #6155, Antioch Police Investigations Bureau

Today, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, Antioch Police Department detectives identified Ryan Hardy as the suspect in the shooting of an 11-year-old girl on January 5th through a combination of video surveillance, witness statements and forensic evidence.

Hardy should be considered armed and dangerous. Members of the public are advised not to confront him. Anyone who sees Hardy in public or has information regarding his whereabouts is urged to call 911 immediately. Hardy is also encouraged to peacefully surrender to the Antioch Police Department.

During the course of the investigation, detectives identified several individuals who assisted Hardy in evading law enforcement. Those individuals, as well as anyone who knowingly assists Hardy in the future, will be subject to arrest for accessory under Penal Code section 32.

As previously reported, on January 5, 2026, Antioch Police Department officers responded to a report of shots fired in the parking lot of the Delta View Apartment complex located at 3915 Delta Fair Boulevard.

While officers were responding, they learned that an 11-year-old girl had sustained a gunshot wound to the head while inside a vehicle in the apartment complex parking lot.

The girl was transported to Children’s Hospital Oakland, where she was listed in stable condition.

Asked for an update on her condition, Lt. Whitaker shared, “It’s the same. She’s in stable but critical condition. The bullet is lodged in her head and they’re trying to monitor to her to decide if they’re going to remove it or leave it.”

The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to contact Antioch Police Detective John Cox at (925) 481-8147 or via email at jcox@antiochca.gov.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

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Ryan Hardy & APD logo 2020

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 7th, 2026 at 7:23 pm and is filed under Children & Families, News, Police & Crime. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.