Lancaster, California – A tragic incident unfolded on Friday evening when a 4-year-old child lost their life in what appears to be a road rage shooting. The child, whose identity has not been disclosed, was inside a car with their parents when an unknown vehicle cut them off on a highway in Lancaster, according to a statement released by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD).
According to the news release, a mother and father were driving on the highway when the suspects cut them off and began following them through several surface streets. The suspects began firing shots from their vehicle, hitting the child in the upper torso. The parents rushed the child to the hospital, but he was tragically pronounced dead. The LASD is treating the incident as a murder.
Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris expressed his shock over the incident, stating, “It’s unimaginable that this could have been any of our families.” The family was reportedly out shopping at the time of the shooting, highlighting the senseless nature of the crime.
Authorities swiftly located the suspects’ car near the scene of the crime using newly installed “flock cameras” and dashcam footage, as per Lancaster Mayor Parris. According to the city, the system detects stolen and wanted vehicles using “automated license plate recognition technology.” The identities of the two suspects, a 29-year-old man and a 27-year-old woman, have not been released. The LASD believes the suspects have gang affiliations.
Adding that there are no additional suspects. Following the shooting, warrants were executed at a hotel in Lancaster, leading to the arrest of the suspects without incident. It remains unclear if there were other minors in the victim’s car, but according to LASD, no one else was injured in the incident. The investigation into the tragic death of the child is ongoing.
If you have any information concerning this incident, please call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.