MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A 7-year-old boy was killed and two adults injured in a shooting Sunday night in North Memphis.
Neighbors said the shooting happened as people gathered for the Fourth of July. Nearly two dozen children were outside lighting fireworks. A four-month-old and other children survived, but the 7-year-old was caught in the line of fire.
Family members identified the boy as Kelby Shorty and said he was going into the second grade at Vollintine Elementary. There will be a candlelight vigil Monday night at 7.
Shorty’s grandmother, Angela Stewart, spoke with WREG-TV about the shooting and said she is still in disbelief.
“We was actually cleaning up the neighborhood from the fireworks we popped and they just brought that to us,” said Stewart.
Stewart said they were calling it a night when someone drove by and started shooting up her house and her daughter’s car on North Montgomery.
The chaos sent the nearly two dozen kids running for cover, but sadly 7-year-old Shorty couldn’t get away.
His family said he had stitches in his foot and believe that slowed him down.
“I guess it was hard for him to get out of the way like all of the rest of the kids,” Stewart said.
Stewart added, “My grandson was so sweet. He was so sweet. He didn’t bother nobody at all just the sweetest. He was just a regular kid that played. Just a regular kid, that’s it.”
Andrea Willis said she saw three of her family members lying in the yard and said she wished she could’ve made it across the street just a few moments earlier.
“He was a sweet little boy, very respectful,” Willis said, remembering Shorty. “He played football. He loved to play his game. Loved hot chips and honey buns.”
Charlie Caswell, the Executive Director of Legacy of Legends, said this traumatic event will impact everyone involved, especially the children that were there for the rest of their lives.
“It’s going to have a long-term ripple effect. A lot of it the parents may not see right now but long-term it’s going to have an impact on those children life so someone needs to be talking to them and getting it addressed,” Caswell said.
Memphis Police said first responders were called to the 700 block of North Montgomery Street off Jackson around 11 p.m. Sunday and discovered three shooting victims. The adults were transported to the Regional Medical Center while the juvenile was transported to Le Bonheur. The child did not survive.
The two adults were taken to the hospital in non-critical condition. Family at the scene said they were two women, ages 22 and 28.
The suspects fled in a gray Mazda sedan. Police said Monday morning they know who they are, but they were not yet in custody.
If you know anything about this case, call Crime Stoppers at (901) 528-CASH.
