A 22-month-old baby boy has died after being critically injured in a drive-by shooting on the Eastside of Jacksonville, Florida around 6pm Friday night [January 29], according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
A grandmother, mother and the baby boy were parked in front of a house on Spearing Street when shots came firing from an unidentified white vehicle, leaving the baby, Aiden Michael McClendon, critically injured.
The boy, who was the only person hit, was taken to UF Health with life-threatening injuries after being stuck at least three times in the upper body, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office.
“This shooting is believed to be gang-related,” the sheriff’s office said. “It doesn’t appear that the victim nor any occupants of the car which the victim was in were the intended targets.”
JSO Chief of Investigations Tom Hackney indicated that type of behavior is unacceptable in the community: “The people responsible for this need to be off our streets. They don’t deserve to walk the same streets as you and I.”
The car fled the scene, and officials are asking witnesses to come forward.
Hackney suggested the public call authorities if they had any information that could lead to a suspect.
The phone number to call for Crime Stoppers is 1-866-845-TIPS.
