This Is The 3-Year-Old Who Was Shot Dead At His Own Birthday Party

Police are hunting for the shooter who killed a three-year-old boy at his birthday party in Miami. The party was being held in the Golden Glades neighborhood of the South Florida mecca. The birthday boy and a 21-year-old woman were both shot during the spree, but only the toddler was killed. The shooter fled the scene and has successfully been able to avoid the police officers in Miami.

The toddler, Elijah LaFrance, was killed during his birthday party on Saturday, according to the Miami-Dade police. The other woman who was shot, the 21-year-old, is expected to recover and survive the injuries she endured as a result of the shooting.

Police report that a fight broke out outside of the Airbnb on NE 158th street after 8 pm. Not long after the altercation started, police claim that shots started ringing out, and the shooter fled the scene. The cops were able to detect the shooting because they have installed devices across Miami that detect and track gunshots.

When cops arrived at the scene of the shooting, the police found little Elijah suffering from gunshot wounds. The boy was taken to the hospital but did not survive the shooting.

Adrian Annestor, LaFrance’s uncle, confirmed that Elijah was injured so badly that the boy “could not even say, mom and dad.”

“They killed him. Oh God, he is still on my mind. I was just playing with him,” Adrian Annestor, LaFrance’s uncle, told CBS Miami. “I wish it could have been me because I’ve lived long enough. He couldn’t even say, mom and dad.”

According to a neighbor who heard the fight, there were twenty to thirty gunshots. One of the stray bullets from the firefight struck the neighbor’s car and damaged it. This neighbor’s roommate claimed to have seen the shooter, who was described as a male. However, the roommate has remained distant from the media and has not wanted to speak to reporters.

Police are currently hunting for the shooter but have not released much information that would help the public identify the man who pulled the trigger.

According to a tweet from the Miami-Dade Police, “Our detectives are working around the clock, using all available resources, to solve the murder of three-year-old Elijah LaFrance. We are out in the community handing out flyers, asking for any possible leads.”

The family confirmed that the party was held in honor of Elijah and his sister.

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava sent a tweet that said, “we will do everything we can to bring this murderer to justice. Last night a three-year-old was shot & killed at a birthday party. 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.”

The mayor wrote her tweet with a quote from an earlier post from Alfredo Ramirez III, the director of the Miami-Dade Police Department.

“I am at another shooting where a toddler has fallen victim to gun violence. My heart hurts. Parents should not have to bury their child! We will not rest and will utilize every resource available to bring this murderer to justice. We can’t do it alone. The community must step up!” Ramirez wrote.