Two shot dead before children's birthday party
BY N. SPANGLER AND E.E. LOPEZ
[email]nspangler@---Herald.com[/email]
There was supposed to be a child's birthday party Saturday at a home on Northeast 9th Place in ---.
Instead, there was a shooting -- with two dead and four others injured -- authorities said.
Late Saturday night, it was unclear who fired shots or what set off the gunfire, but police, fire rescue workers, neighbors and partygoers who arrived after the shooting described a horrendous scene inside and outside the home in the Greenbrook development.
--- police spokesman Roy Rutland would only confirm that those who were killed and those who survived ranged from 3 to 30 years of age.
He said police were first called to the home at 3:19 p.m., but he would not discuss the circumstances of the shooting and would not disclose the identities of any victims.
''The investigation is currently ongoing,'' he said in a prepared statement released late Saturday night to the media.
--- news partner ---CBS4 had reported that relatives thought the shooting occurred during a home invasion robbery at the home, but police would not confirm the report.
Three shooting victims who survived were airlifted to --- Hospital, while a fourth was taken by ambulance, according to --- Fire Rescue spokeswoman Elizabeth Calzadilla-Fiallo.
''They were all seriously wounded and all were victims of firearms,'' she said.
Late Saturday afternoon, police had sealed off the house and encircled much of the block around the house with yellow police tape, keeping neighbors and reporters far from the home. Television trucks clogged the street.
<my name>, 16, a junior at <my school's name>, and her big sister Sophia <last name>, were on their way to help decorate for the birthday party thrown for Sophia's son, Laquan, 4, and the young son of a family friend.
''We drove up and I saw a lady lying on the ground,'' <name> said. ``I wondered if she'd broken her ankle. Then I saw the two kids on the porch bleeding. I believe they were shot.''
Neighbors said they heard shots coming from the home at 20517 NE Ninth Pl., in the Greenbrook development, shortly after 3 p.m.
A Spider-Man invitation indicated that was around the time a party for young boys was supposed to start.
That was so messed up. Me and my other sister were supposed to be in that house earlier to help set up for that party which was a double party for my nephew and another kid who died in the shootings. However, the sister I supposed to ride with to be there earlier was running late and got lost. Then my sister Sophia picked me up instead and we met my other sister in a parking lot to let her follow us to the house.
When we got to the house police had not arrived and there was a woman on the lawn who I thought broke her ankle but I found out later that she was playing dead. Then I saw two kids one the porch a little boy and a little girl—both covered in blood. I thought the little boy had fallen until I realized that all that blood couldn’t be from one person. Sophia ran into the house and found both Carla, a family friend, and her son shot. Her son was shot twice in the head and I think she was shot in the chest. I didn’t go in the house so all about inside of the house is what I overheard from my frantic sisters.
I called my parents and TRIED to direct them to the house. Let me take this chance to emphasize how much cul-de-sacs, courts, places, and all kinds of twisty streets should be BANNED.
My sisters were questioned all day since police are notoriously slow. Plus CSI had to to get DNA of my sister Sophia so that she wouldn’t be accidentally accused since she touched the body.
So everyone saw me on the news at church. It really got annoying since they don’t realize that I was there BEFORE the police. So there was no cleaned up scene or anything— just a lot of blood and really dazed people with bullets in them.
To think my other sister and I were almost in that house… We’re thanking God that our time management sucks. None of us can believe that that family friend was dead. She knew us for a long time and even dated my brother for awhile. This is really shocking.
Those stupid reporters tried to patronize me by asking me some loaded questions. Here's my personal favorite.
Reporter: Wow...so do you feel lucky?
Me: *shakes head* ...No, I know it was God.
Of COURSE they wouldn't have THAT part in the news... *roll eyes* Then again, I couldn't exactly start preaching about providence and the elect on the street while trying to find out if my sister passed out from shock.
Another favorite is when the reporter was asking what kind of chicken we had in the SUV. I gave him a look like "WTHECK is wrong with you?! THE CHICKEN?"
You're in our thoughts and prayers!
