Florida Police Launch Manhunt for Men Who Allegedly Fatally Shot 6-Year-Old

Police are pleading for residents to lay aside the “anti-snitch” culture in the African-American majority Pinewood neighborhood of Miami-Dade, Florida, as they seek help from residents to find the group of men who shot and killed a six-year-old boy as he was walking last week.

Little King Carter was walking near his Blue Lake Village home, when two black men no one in the community claim to recognize exited a car and began shooting. One of the bullets struck the child, killing him. Police are looking for three men who reportedly fled in an unidentified car.

Officials feel the boy was not necessarily a target and was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Miami-Dade police Director Juan Perez told WPLG Channel 10, “Clearly, he’s not the target. He happened to be an innocent bystander, outside playing, doing what kids do.”

“I’m angry. Our officers are angry. The community behind me’s angry,” Director Perez added, “so hopefully they’re angry enough that they could provide some information that will lead to the arrests of the individuals.”

Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez is pleading for help from the community and has offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to the apprehension of the shooters.

“We need (residents) to tell us what’s happening,” Gimenez added. “Then we can get to the bottom of it quicker, put less lives at risk and put the perpetrators behind bars.”

The victim’s aunt, Moniquna Frierson, said the child was a happy, playful boy. “He was a happy kid. It ain’t going to be the same without him,” she said.

The child’s father posted a video to Facebook asking for prayers for his family.

“Just lost my son, 6-year-old King Carter. Y’all seen me with him everyday, man,” Santonio Carter said in his video. The boy’s father also criticized the “n**gas doing dumb s**t” in the community.

Channel 10 reported that 67 people under age 19 have been killed by gunfire in Miami-Dade since 2013.

The child’s aunt, Tawama Akins, posted to her own Facebook that the boy’s parents were good people.

“These great parents were always there for King Carter. My nephew had no reason to die like this just playing outside,” she said.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston, or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.