Police are looking to identify and locate the shooter — An adult male dressed in black, and another juvenile who witnesses told police was with the shooter when it happened Sunday afternoon on Jett Avenue.
The victim’s mother told emergency dispatchers that she was inside and heard a shot and ran outside because she knew her son was nearby playing basketball.
She indicated at first she didn’t know if her son had been shot with a BB or a real gun.
“He came in the house running,” she said. A dispatcher helped her take steps to slow the bleeding.
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An 11-year-old boy was shot while playing basketball Saturday afternoon in Dayton, according to Dayton Sgt. Creigee Coleman.
“We have a person with a gun coming to a group of children who are out playing on a great, sunny day—enjoying themselves—and somebody comes with a handgun and causes this juvenile this injury,” Coleman said.
Police say the boy was shot through his hand and the bullet went through his groin. The boy’s injury was not considered life-threatening and was taken to Dayton Children’s Hospital for treatment.
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Coleman said the victim told officers that an adult male, along with another juvenile male, approached him as he was playing basketball in the 1300 block of Jett Avenue. The man then pulled a gun, shot the boy and fled, according to Coleman.
Coleman said investigators don’t know what “precipitated the incident,” but they are working to determine its cause.
“We trying to gather more information that would cause an adult male to come over with another juvenile and just shoot this child,” he said.
Jacqueline Cockrell has lived in the “quiet” neighborhood for seven years and says that she was shocked to hear what happened.
“It’s terrible. Kids can’t play basketball without getting shot? That’s ridiculous. I feel bad for him,” said Cockrell.
Dayton police currently don’t have much to go on for a description of the suspect. So far, all they’ve been able to gather from the victim is that he is a black, adult male and was dressed in all black. A description for the juvenile accompanying the suspect was also unavailable to police.
Coleman said detectives will interview the victim to try to gain a better description, as well as interview others who were at the scene when the shooting occurred. He also urged the public to come forward if they had any information, saying police needs to “get this person off the streets.”
“We need the help of the public to help us find this person so this person can be brought to justice,” he continued.