CORAL SPRINGS, FLORIDA — At a fun run to mark the 15th anniversary of 9/11, an 11-year-old Mexican-American girl who was volunteering at the event was assaulted by a senior citizen who had a problem with how the child was paying her respects to the fallen.

On September 14, Jessica Gonzalez-Howard was standing for the national anthem when a 75-year-old woman, unknown to her, walked over and smacked her across the face.

The woman asked her if she was a citizen of the United States, and then yelled at her for not holding her hand over her heart. The child ran over to her mother, who proceeded to search for the woman in order to give her a piece of her mind. The old woman’s daughter came by and apologized to the family, but repeatedly mentioned that her mother was 75 years old, therefore should be excused for her behavior.