Boy, 6, shot in South Side home
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YOUNGSTOWN --A boy, 6, was in stable but guarded condition at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital on Wednesday after being shot in the living room of a home in the 300 block of East Avondale Avenue on the South Side.
Police are calling the shooting "targeted." Detectives believe someone else was targeted at the house because the location was the scene of other police calls in the past. Other adults and children were in the home at the time.
No arrests were made Wednesday.
"We are just asking that anyone with information about this crime contact us," Youngstown police Capt. Jason Simon said. The number to call is 330-746-CLUE OR 330-746-8YPD with information or tips, which may be left anonymously.
Police said they were alerted by several ShotSpotter gunshot detection activations at 12:24 a.m. in the 300 block of East Avondale. They arrived there within a minute and discovered the boy had been shot.
"Officers immediately began first aid measures, and the decision was made to transport the child to Mercy Health by police cruiser," according to a news release from the Youngstown Police Department.
Detectives spoke to family members and witnesses in the area, and numerous bullet shell casings were collected, leading police to believe that the shooting was a "targeted incident where the 6-year-old ended up being the victim," according to the department.
Simon, however, said detectives do not believe the 6-year-old was targeted specifically.
"Due to the evidence we have gathered so far and the nature of the crime scene, we have every reason to believe that either a person or person(s) at or within the home were targeted. Clearly, we cannot say who or why -- which is all part of the current investigation," he said.
The child was in the living room when someone unloaded several rounds of gunfire. Reports indicate that the child was shot in the shoulder or back, and that shots came into the boy's home from across the street.
Police couldn't confirm how many shots were fired, but neighbors reported hearing more than 20 shots.
Police also could not comment on what type of weapon was used.
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