Miami Boy Shot Dead After Bullets Sprayed at Child’s Birthday Party

A three-year-old Miami boy was shot and killed at a child's birthday party on Saturday. Miami-Dade Police Department said that a ShotSpotter alert sent officers to the residence where Elijah LaFrance was found with gunshot wounds, according to a Crime Online report.

Police said they brought the Miami child to a hospital, but he was later pronounced dead due to his injuries. A 21-year-old woman was also shot and was brought into the Aventura Hospital.

Police said the woman, who has not been named, was already in stable condition. Police added that the suspect responsible for the shooting has fled the scene and is still at large.

The Shooting Incident

The residence where the shooting took place was an Airbnb rental and was booked to host the party.

According to CBS Local News, an altercation started outside the house in North Miami Avenue and NE 158 Street, and there were shots fired at around 8:05 p.m. Both Elijah LaFrance and the woman were found outside.

"I wish it could have been me because I've lived long enough. He couldn't even say mom and dad," the boy's devastated uncle, Adrian Annestor, who was at the party, said in the report.

"They killed him. Oh God, he is still on my mind. I was just playing with him," he added.

A neighbor, who identified himself as Zobop, also expressed his grief. The man told CBS4 how could someone go and see a party with children and then open fire on them.

Zobop said that he walked outside just moments before shots were fired. He noted that some of those shots hit his car and his home.

"Lots of fires. It sounded like a series of firecrackers. More than 30 rounds I heard. And then I saw a person running to a car and then a car took off high speed and two more cars followed all going east," he said.

Police have not provided any further details about the shooting. The investigation is still ongoing. But Miami-Dade Police Director Alfredo Ramirez noted that they would find those responsible for the shooting and be held accountable.

The Miami-Dade police encourage individuals who have any information regarding the incident to call them at 305-471-2400 or Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.

Gun Violence

According to an Every Town Research report, more than 100 Americans are killed with guns, and more than 230 are shot and wounded daily.

Suicide accounts for 60 percent of gun deaths in the U.S. The gun suicide rate in the country is 10 times that of other high-income countries.

Also, access to guns triples the risk of death by suicide, which is concentrated in states with high rates of gun ownership. The report noted that about 73 percent of firearm suicide victims are white men.

On the other hand, homicides account for 36 percent of gun-related violence in the U.S. Gun homicides are reportedly most prevalent in racially segregated communities with high poverty rates.

The majority of gun homicide victims are Black Americans, who are 10 times more likely than white Americans to die by gun homicide. Police shootings account for gun deaths by intent, as well as other undetermined factors.

The leading cause of death for American children and teens is firearms-related, with more than 1,800 children and teens dying by gun homicide yearly.

WATCH: Child Shot and Killed During Birthday Party in Northeast Miami-Dade - From CBS Miami