Crime & Safety

Arrest Made in Fatal 'Point Blank' Shooting of Toddler, 2: UPDATE

"I can't believe someone would kill an innocent child," a witness said. "We've got to do something about all of this violence over there."

Updated at 2:18 p.m.

One person has been arrested in the shooting that left a 2-year-old dead and a 12-year-old in critical condition in Inkster Tuesday night.

The suspect, who has not been named, fatally shot the toddler in front of her father, the Detroit News reports, then turned the gun on her father, 34, and the 12-year-old. Multiple shots were fired at the toddler’s father and the 12-year-old, a relative of the father.

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The 12-year-old’s condition has been upgraded from critical to stable condition. The other victim is also in stable condition at an area hospital, according to The Detroit News.

The Detroit Free Press reports mourners are leaving stuffed animals in tribute to  Kamiya LaShawn Gross, 2, at the site where the toddler who was killed. A vigil will be held there at 7 p.m. Thursday.

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“For something like this to happen to a child whose life hasn’t even started yet, it’s beyond said,” Aaron Sims, 36, a community advocate told the Free Press.

The shooting has stunned the neighborhood, normally teeming with playing children, into silent fear, he said.

“You come over here any given day there’s kids everywhere,” Sims said. “The kids are about to be stuck in the house for probably the rest of the summer.”

Police haven’t speculated on a motive in the shooting. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP (1-800-773-2587) or the Michigan State Police tip line at (877) 616-4677.

Our earlier report:

A Downriver shooting in which a toddler was killed and two others were injured, including a 12-year-old girl who is in critical condition.

The Detroit Free Press reports police were on the scene in Inkster Wednesday morning trying to get answers about the triple shooting, which occurred about 8:30 p.m. at Parkside Estates, a public housing complex in the 30000 block of Carlysle Streeet.

A man walked up to a 2-year-old girl and shot her “point blank,” and then turned the gun on the 12-year-old girl as they sat on their porch with a 30-year-old man, who was also injured, but did not have life-threatening injuries, Michigan State Police Lt. Michael Shaw told the Free Press in an earlier story.

Witnesses said the man, who left in a van that had dropped him off moments before the shooting started, “casually” approached the victims. About nine shots were fired, witnesses said.

The shooting left residents shaken in an area where they said violence occurs too often.

“I can’t believe someone would kill an innocent child,” said Darrel Tomlinson, 48, who said he moved away from the area because of the violence but still visits a sister who still lives there.

“We’ve got to do something about all of this violence over there,” he said.



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