LANCASTER, CA – Authorities have launched an investigation following a fatal shootout in Lancaster, which tragically claimed the life of a 4-year-old boy. The episode of road rage took place on Friday around 7:30 p.m. while the boy and his parents were traveling in their vehicle.
The incident was triggered when the suspect’s car cut in front of the child’s parents by the intersection of Sierra Highway and East Avenue J. Rather than drive off, the suspect then pursued the family’s vehicle through multiple streets. As per details shared by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, as the family’s vehicle decelerated, the suspect maneuvered alongside the passenger side of the car and opened fire.
In the midst of the gunfire, the boy, seated in the backseat, tragically received a bullet wound in the torso. His parents hurriedly rushed him to a local hospital for emergency care, but he unfortunately succumbed to his injuries.
In response to the fatal incident, law enforcement officers uncovered the suspect’s vehicle in the area shortly after the shooting took place, leading to arrest of two individuals on suspicion of murder. Arrested were a 29-year-old male and a 27-year-old female. Authorities have not yet disclosed their identities, as well as the deceased child’s.
The investigation on the case is currently ongoing. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau is urging anyone with useful information about the incident to come forward. Anonymous tip-offs can also be made via Crime Stoppers.