RIVER RIDGE, La. – A 7-year-old child was shot to death in the living room of her home, apparently by gunshots that were fired from outside the building according to Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesman John Fortunato.
The incident occurred around 4 a.m. in Building B at 10950 Jefferson Highway.
Deputies responding to a 911 call that a child had been shot found the young girl suffering from a gunshot wound to the neck. She was raced to University Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Fortunato said that deputies found numerous bullet holes along the outside walls of several buildings in and around the apartment complex where the child was shot.
"It's sad. I mean, a seven-year-old, killed over something, like whatever was going on out here," said Robert Hoffman, a downstairs neighbor.
The victim was apparently sleeping in the living room with her 10-year-old cousin, when she began crying, alerting her parents, who called 911.
"She was sleeping with her cousing. Now, she's dead. It's just ridiculous" said Hoffman. "Just like the whole thing is totally ridiculous."
Fortunato added that within minutes of the initial call of the child being shot, the 911 Center began receiving calls of gunshots in the area of South Upland & South Cumberland.
Crimes Scene technicians located a number of spent 9mm shell casings in the 200-300 blocks of South Upland.
"So, they tore the building down and then that made it a through street. And ever since the building's been down, it's been a lot of traffic up and down the street-- all time of day, all time of the night. So, I don't know if that's added to problems here. But since it's been down, there has been an increase in crime," said Robyn Cross, a neighbor.
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