A 3-year-old boy in Louisiana was struck and killed by a stray bullet while lying in bed, according to authorities.
Devin Page Jr. was the victim of an apparent shootout that took place outside his home Tuesday overnight, though he is not believed to have been the intended target, the Baton Rouge Police Department said.
“The tragic overnight killing of a young child on Fairfields Avenue is a sad reminder that our community has a long way to go in addressing gun violence. This tragedy is beyond unacceptable,” said Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome in a statement Wednesday.
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Broome called for a “Week of Peace” starting on Friday following the child’s death, asking residents to use their words instead of violence as arguments arise.
An investigation into the boy’s death is ongoing, and as of Wednesday, no arrests have been made.
Page was described as a “gentle, energetic young boy” in a GoFundMe page organized by the boy’s family.
Just days prior, a child living on the same street was injured by bullet fragments after gunfire hit their home Sunday night.
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Gun violence in East Baton Rouge surged during the pandemic, as the city recorded its deadliest year on record. In 2021,149 homicides were reported across the parish.
Combating violence in the parish was the top subject of Broome’s “State of the City” address in January, which highlighted how her administration is allocating federal dollars from the American Rescue Plan toward initiatives to curb crime. Some of the allocated funds are set to go toward new police units, automated license plate readers, and community surveillance cameras, among other items.
