Police are searching for whoever is responsible after a 3-year-old boy who was at a birthday party in a Fort Lauderdale park was killed in a drive-by shooting over the weekend.
The shooting happened around 4:30 p.m. Sunday at Riverland Park near the 900 block of Southwest 27th Avenue.
In 911 calls released Monday, people are heard screaming moments after the gunfire.
“I need an ambulance at Riverland Park!” one woman tells a 911 dispatcher, before the call cuts off.
“A baby just got shot, we’re at Riverland Park!” a woman says in another call.
Fort Lauderdale Police said officers and fire rescue crews responded and found the injured boy, who was rushed to Broward Health Medical Center as a trauma alert.
He was later pronounced dead. He was identified by police Monday as Rylo Yancy, who’d just turned 3 in May.
Family members gathered at the hospital throughout the day Sunday but didn’t want to speak with reporters.
On social media, family members posted about the devastation of losing the toddler.
At the park Monday morning, decorations from the party were scattered around the scene, including balloons and a photo of the 1-year-old whose birthday was being celebrated.
Food, drinks and other items were also left behind on and around picnic tables after the shooting.
Residents of the area said they were shocked to learn of the violence.
“We all got to get together and pray for this violence to stop, killing innocent little kids at parties and and just sitting out in their cars, it’s just terrible,” Millie Charles said. “My heart has been broken to see this and to hear about a child, an innocent child, who knows nothing about nothing, he’s out there enjoying the birthday party and then all the sudden this happens, and I feel so bad for the parents.”
“It’s very sad…my heart goes out to the mother because I lost a child, so I know how it feels, it’s very sad,” Joan Gooding said.
Police said Monday that the suspect fled the area after the drive-by shooting but said detectives identified and located one of the vehicles involved.
No arrests have been made, police said. An investigation was ongoing and anyone with information was asked to contact police.
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