MEMPHIS, TN – A 3-year-old boy was fatally hit by a stray bullet while at home during what authorities believe was a case of “celebratory gunfire” for the New Year’s Eve in Memphis, Tennessee.
In an incident on Sunday around 6.pm, a bullet flew in through the window of the boy’s family’s apartment in Northeast Memphis and struck the toddler, identified as Brayden Smith, as per the police. Brayden was immediately taken to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital but could not withstand the injuries and passed away.
In a GoFundMe page set up for the toddler’s funeral expenses, the family expressed the unbearable pain following their irreparable loss. The horrific incident, according to Memphis law enforcement, is believed to have been a result of celebratory gunfire from a different section of the apartment complex where Brayden lived. The shooter is yet to be apprehended.
Reacting to the incident, Assistant Police Chief Don Crowe highlighted the risks and illegal nature of celebratory gunfire. The Touched by an Angel Foundation in Memphis made a donation in the boy’s memory. Brayden’s grandmother described the child as a special person with his unique qualities.
His unfortunate and untimely death is counted as one among a staggering 398 homicides the city of Memphis witnessed in 2023- the city with the most significant per capita murder rate of all large American cities.