There is nothing that gives parents joy other than being blessed with a healthy child. Kids are known to be the greatest blessings one could ever receive from the Lord. No wonder couples who are not able to sire children are known to go the extra mile to have them. In most cases, the childless choose to adopt kids from orphanage homes to fulfill their dreams of becoming parents. For many parents, every day is filled with exciting milestones in their children’s lives. They are some moments that the children would never forget throughout their lifetime because it quickly becomes one of those most special memories they have forever. Birthday is one of the famous milestones in every child’s life. Kids are very excited to celebrate their birthday because it is one time of the year that they would be showered with lots of gifts from family, friends, and even neighbors. As a result, parents ensure that they hold standard birthday parties for their children. Unfortunately, not all birthdays are as joyous as they should be because there’s always the risk of something unexpected happening that can easily wipe out those exciting feelings and even turn everything into a nightmare.
24th April 2021 became a nightmare for the family of Elijah LaFrance after he was shot during his birthday party. The three-year-old boy died after he was hit with a handgun by an unknown assailant. During the party held in Golden Glades in Miami, a young lady in her early 20s was also shot, but she was lucky to survive. The shootings happened after violence erupted not far from the party location, claiming the little boy’s life. Since the police of the Miami area have installed devices that detect and track gunshots, they were able to respond immediately to the incident, but they did not get hold of the gunman during the shootout. They rushed the two victims to the hospital, but unfortunately, Elijah did not make it as he was pronounced dead on arrival to the hospital. According to a witness whose car got severely damaged during the occurrence, the assailant, whose gender was identified as a male, released over twenty gunshots.
The killing of the young and innocent soul has angered so many people, wondering why Elijah had to fall victim to other people’s misunderstanding during one of his happiest days: A birthday party. Among those in attendance was LaFrance’s uncle, Adrian Annestor, who had a personal relationship with his nephew. Adrian recalls how they were playing with Elijah LaFrance and how death came unexpectedly. The uncle is very bitter, for Elijah died before he could pronounce dad and mum and wishes it would be better if the bullet landed on him, for he believes he has lived for long. Though the police have not apprehended the gunman who killed the innocent child, they have assured that a thorough investigation is underway to unravel all those behind his death. In a tweet that has attracted numerous views, Mayor Daniella of the Miami-Dade Police station condemned the killing of LaFrance, assuring the public that they are working around the clock to grant justice to the fallen hero. Police officers attached to the station are going round sourcing any information that could give them some leads by issuing the public with flyers.
