A 6-year-old boy shot during a Fourth of July celebration in Temple Hills, Md., has died, police announced Sunday. The shooting occurred about 7:40 p.m. at an annual neighborhood celebration full of bouncy houses and festive face painting, a witness said. Police arrived at the 4500 block of Akron Street to find Ahsan Payton critically wounded. He was rushed to the hospital for treatment but died late Saturday night, authorities said.
Two adults also suffered non-life-threatening injuries from the shooting, police have said.
No arrests have been made in the case.
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Shanita Geathers, 40, said she was standing on her front porch that evening when people began to run and scream. Even as others fled, she ran toward the gunfire in search of her children.
Unbeknownst to Geathers, her children had sheltered safely inside neighbors’ homes. But as she desperately searched for her kids, she saw a little boy who had been shot lying in a driveway.
“As I’m trying to gather the kids, of course, you pray that you don’t see people laying on the ground,” Geathers said in an interview the day after the shooting. “This prayer this time just wasn’t answered.”
Longtime residents of Akron Street said the neighborhood has hosted Independence Day festivities for the past five years, and never before had it seen such violence. Some of the neighbors host a free party with games and barbecue, which residents said draws in outsiders.
Police said previously that at least two people fired weapons at another person during the incident. The Prince George’s County Police Department is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information that leads to an arrest and indictment.
JaceDJoker on July 8th, 2024 at 02:21 UTC »
I'm so sorry little one. Please rest in peace.
DangusKh4n on July 7th, 2024 at 23:36 UTC »
Jesus Christ, that's grim. I hope to god the monster that did this is found and shoved in a dark cell for the rest of their waste of a life.
Miserable_Report_855 on July 7th, 2024 at 23:34 UTC »
6-year-old shot on July Fourth in Md. has died, police say
Ahsan Payton was shot during a neighborhood party in Temple Hills, Md. Police have not made any arrests in the case.
By Emma Uber
July 7, 2024 at 1:55 p.m. EDT
A 6-year-old boy shot during a Fourth of July celebration in Temple Hills, Md., has died, police announced Sunday.
The shooting occurred about 7:40 p.m. at an annual neighborhood celebration full of bouncy houses and festive face painting, a witness said. Police arrived at the 4500 block of Akron Street to find Ahsan Payton critically wounded. He was rushed to the hospital for treatment but died late Saturday night, authorities said.
Two adults also suffered non-life-threatening injuries from the shooting, police have said.
No arrests have been made in the case.
Shanita Geathers, 40, said she was standing on her front porch that evening when people began to run and scream. Even as others fled, she ran toward the gunfire in search of her children.
Unbeknownst to Geathers, her children had sheltered safely inside neighbors’ homes. But as she desperately searched for her kids, she saw a little boy who had been shot lying in a driveway.
“As I’m trying to gather the kids, of course, you pray that you don’t see people laying on the ground,” Geathers said in an interview the day after the shooting. “This prayer this time just wasn’t answered.”
Longtime residents of Akron Street said the neighborhood has hosted Independence Day festivities for the past five years, and never before had it seen such violence. Some of the neighbors host a free party with games and barbecue, which residents said draws in outsiders.
Police said previously that at least two people fired weapons at another person during the incident. The Prince George’s County Police Department is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information that leads to an arrest and indictment.
“Let me be clear: any individuals found to be involved in this shooting will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy (D) said in a statement after the shooting. “We will pursue every avenue within our discretion to ensure that those responsible for this violence, face the consequences of their actions.”