Florida 3-year-old fatally shot at his birthday party
3-year-old Elijah LaFrance was fatally shot at his birthday party in Golden Glades, Florida. Miami-Dade Police says the toddler and an unidentified 21-year-old woman were shot at the party. The woman is expected to survive her injuries. The shooting took place around 8 p.m. Saturday when a neighbor reported hearing 20 – 30 gunshots outside the home according to NBC 6 South Florida.
“A barrage of gunfire went on for a good 30 seconds, at least 40 or 50 probably,” Kevin Golden said. “I saw a car right here at the end of my driveway. There was an individual outside of the car with an assault rifle firing in this direction, of course.”
Local officials went on social media to send out their condolences and desire for justice.
“Last night a three-year-old was shot & killed at a birthday party,” Mayor Daniella Levine Cava tweeted Sunday. “There are no words to describe the immense loss & anger our community is feeling. We will do everything we can to bring this murderer to justice & we must stand together to demand an end to this cycle of tragedy.”
“Our detectives are working around the clock, using all available resources, to solve the murder of 3-year-old Elijah LaFrance,” Miami-Dade Police officials tweeted. “We are out in the community handing out flyers, asking for any possible leads.”
As of now, there is a a reward of $15,000 for information that leads to the arrest of young Elijah’s killer.
The murder of the boy has outraged the community.
“It’s us killing us. We have to make a stand,” local resident Susan Kennedy told NBC 6. “We are responsible. We went wrong. What did we do wrong to kill our kids? When are we gonna matter to us? Our babies are dying.”