Florida boy gets shot by real gun as he fires paintballs at house, dad's car runs him over as he loses balance
MIAMI, FLORIDA: A child, 10, had to suffer a gunshot wound after his father took him out for a drive-by paintball shooting. The victim, whose name has not been revealed, was also reportedly run over by his dad’s vehicle. The unfortunate incident happened on Sunday, May 30.
The child’s father, Michael Williams, told Opa-locka police that his son repeatedly requested him to take him to a home where young people had gathered so that he could carry out a drive-by paintball attack. According to reports, as the 26-year-old father and his son arrived at the home, the boy fired several rounds of the dye-filled gelatin capsules.
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But the homeowner, whose name has also not been disclosed, reportedly mistook the paintball for real bullets and in defense fired one shot, which hit the young boy. Reportedly, after getting struck by the bullet, the child lost his balance and was run over by his father's vehicle. Williams then reportedly rushed to his home with his child where his wife called the emergency services. No report has come yet on the little boy’s condition.
Meanwhile, it has been said that Williams has been pressed with child neglect with great bodily harm charge. A police report alleged that the father “acted recklessly by agreeing to conduct a drive-by paintball shooting.” However, it's not been clear if the homeowner who hit the child has been charged or not.
This unfortunate incident came days after a six-year-old boy lost his life in an apparent road rage case. On the morning of May 21, Aiden Leos was going to his school with his mum — Joanna Cloonan — when he was struck while sitting in his car booster seat on a Southern California freeway. Joanna was driving the car at the time when an enraged motorist fired at them.
The tragedy took place when another motorist overtook Joanna’s vehicle while traveling in the carpool lane of the northbound side of State Route 55, in the city of Orange. Joanna then showed the finger in her rearview mirror, which reportedly angered the other driver, who shot at them killing the school kid. After Leos’ death, the devastated mother told ABC News' Zohreen Shah in an interview: “They took my son's life away. He was beautiful and he was kind and he was precious, and you killed him for no reason. And I want to find them and I want there to be justice to be served for my son.”
“He meant the world to me, and it feels like my life is over. That was my baby. I've never, never thought pain like this could exist. I hope that people see this [interview] and understand that this is not OK, whatever and whoever these people are and for whatever reason, this is not OK. It should never happen again. So whatever help this does, that's my intention for my son,” she added.
Leos’ elder sister Alexis Cloonan also urged people’s support in finding the culprits. She said, “She had blood on her clothes and he started turning blue and that's when the ambulance took him and that was the last time my mom saw him alive. Please help us find the people that did this to my little brother. He's only six and he was so sweet. He was a very loving boy so please help us find who did this to him.”