A 10-year-old girl was wounded in a drive-by shooting in Boyle Heights Thursday, but the victim was not the shooter's intended target, police said.

The shooting occurred at about 6 p.m. near the intersection of Rogers Avenue and Chicago Street, according to Officer Mike Lopez of the Los Angeles Police Department's Media Relations Section.

Police said the girl was walking to a nearby market for a soda with her sister when she was struck in the back of the head. She was taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center where she underwent surgery and was listed in critical condition.

Family members said doctors removed a bullet that was partially lodged in the back of the girl's head. She was expected to be OK.

The girl's sister, who was not identified, said she heard the shooting and thought it was "fireworks."

"The people were shooting and that's when my sister fell," she said. "I tried to pick her up but that's when I saw the blood coming out."

The intended target of the shooting was a man on a bicycle, but he was not hit, Lopez said. Three shots were fired. The man remained at the scene and was being interviewed by police.

The victim's sister said there were four people in the car involved in the drive-by shooting.

Investigators said they were hoping surveillance video near the scene will help them locate the vehicle connected to the drive-by shooting.