A young boy was killed in a Fourth of July dispute after getting shot in the head.
7-year-old Yitzian Torres Garcia and his grandfather were watching fireworks in Tampa, Florida, on Independence Day when two groups of people got involved in a fight about jet skis.
According to the preliminary reports, gunfire erupted after one group scolded the other for riding jet skis too close to the land.
While the granddad immediately rushed his grandson into his truck to protect him from the bullets, one stray projectile pierced the vehicle and struck the child in the head, killing him immediately.
It was also confirmed that the bullet hit the grandfather’s finger before it struck the boy.
As of this writing, it remains unclear if any arrests were made and who the suspects are.
“One guy just started shooting in the air,” the grandfather, Juan Carlos Mejia, told Fox13.
“When I felt the gunshot in my hand, I turned to look at my grandson, and his head turned,” he added in an interview with WFLA while explaining he tried to shield the boy with his hand.
Speaking out was also the boy’s grandmother, Marisol Ayala, who said:
“This is not supposed to happen to babies. Help us find these people please, because my baby’s not going to come back to us. We need justice for him. These people have to pay.”
According to the police, cops were deployed to the scene of the shocking killing just after 8.30 pm.
“We want to bring these folks who did this shooting to justice. We want to hold them accountable for their actions,” Tampa Deputy Chief Calvin Johnson said in a statement.
“If they’re out here and they hear me today, turn yourself in. Your actions and your anger led to a 7-year-old just starting his life getting killed because you were angry over a jet ski.”
Our thoughts remain with Yitzian’s family during this challenging time.