Secret Pierce: Connecticut girl, 12, fatally shot in the head during drive-by shooting that injured 3 others
HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT: A Connecticut girl, 12, was shot to death after a drive-by shooting that was aimed at three others who were injured in the incident, according to police. A student of Hartford's Thurman L Milner Middle School, Secret Pierce was inside a vehicle on Thursday, April 20 when shots struck her and three other people.
Pierce who was shot in the head was immediately transported to Saint Francis Hospital and was listed in critical condition. On Friday, April 21, the 12-year-old girl succumbed to her gunshot wounds at 7 am, reported New York Post.
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Three injured people had an extensive 'firearm involvement and criminal history'
Talking to reporters, Mayor Luke Bronin said, "This is a painful day in our community. I don’t have the words I want to say to Secret’s mother and loved ones that we are all so deeply sorry. That we are with them today in grief, in prayer, and with love."
Bronin said that the three other people who were injured had "extensive firearm involvement and criminal history." He said that they will be cooperating with the investigation as they are likely to know who shot them.
"It is not acceptable not to share the information you know about who took the life of a 12-year-old girl. That’s not fair to her family, that’s not fair to her loved ones, it’s not fair to her memory, it’s is not fair to our community," the mayor said.
Secret was not the intended target
Authorities do not consider the possibility of the shooters targeting Secret, said Lt Aaron Boisvert. At this point, it appears that the 12-year-old girl had nothing to do with the incident and was not the intended target," he said.
Responding officers found an 18-year-old wounded man on the sidewalk while Pierce who was injured was found inside a parked vehicle. The 18-year-old who was taken to the hospital was listed as stable. A 23-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy who was also injured in the shooting went to the hospital on their own with non-life-threatening injuries, the mayor said.
"We do have some footage that captured a vehicle flying by, went north on Huntington Street, right when the gunfire erupted. We are actively working to decipher what vehicle that was so that we can put it out," Boisvert added.