Five-year-old boy and 20-year-old man killed in Texas shooting
29 August 2022, 19:33
A five-year-old child and a 20-year-old man were killed and a toddler was injured in a drive-by shooting in a residential area of Fort Worth, police in Texas have said.
The shooting happened shortly after 2pm local time on Sunday when a vehicle pulled up outside the home where a group was gathered in the front garden and a gunman or gunmen opened fire, Fort Worth police chief Neil Noakes said.
Jamarrien Monroe, 20, was pronounced dead at 3:14pm on Sunday at John Peter Smith Hospital.
Rayshard Scott, five, was pronounced dead at 3.32pm in the emergency room at Cook Children’s Medical Center, according to the Tarrant County medical examiner's office.
An 18-month-old had minor injuries and was expected to survive, Mr Noakes said, adding that police are not yet sure how the boys are connected to each other.
Jamarrien and Rayshard were outside the residence, in the 8500 block of Steel Dust Drive, when the attack occurred. Several cartridge casings were found outside.
Mr Noakes asked anyone with information or video to contact police and said authorities would use "every resource necessary" to find those responsible.
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Mr Noakes said: "We’re seeing violent crime on the rise across the country, and unfortunately we’re seeing violent crime here in Fort Worth in numbers we don’t want to see,
"But when you have children ... who are murdered completely senselessly, it adds just another level to that tragedy we’re all experiencing.
"That 5-year-old will never graduate from kindergarten, that 18-month-old will have physical and emotional scars that may stay with him the rest of his life.
"We have children who are murdered completely senselessly. It adds just another level to that tragedy.
"I can tell you this much – The Fort Worth Police Department is going to put every resource necessary to this investigation to do everything we can to bring those responsible to justice as soon as possible."
He said police were investigating possible gang involvement.
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