Story Created:
Mar 21, 2010 at 7:58 PM CDT
Story Updated:
Mar 22, 2010 at 9:11 AM CDT
(Updated 10:00 pm by Will Carter)
It was an unlikely end to what should have been a day full of celebration for a 5-year-old Springfield boy.
The home he lived in is now barricaded by crime tape.
His older brother the victim of a shooting.
"He's a good kid. I can't understand this," said one neighbor.
The neighbor here across the street says the family was having a birthday party for their younger son.
He says he looked out the window, and that's when he saw the suspect approach the older son on the front porch, and things took a drastic turn.
"They were loud bangs. There was four of them. The dude ran west. The door was open. The next thing I know, they all come running out yelling Cody was shot," said the neighbor.
Within minutes, parents of children attending the younger brother's birthday party began showing up.
"They just called me. My son went to his friend's birthday party. That was about an hour and a half ago. They called me and told me to come pick him up because this was going on," said Tonia Reese.
Police say none of the kids at the birthday party were injured, but their presence only added to the chaos.
"You can imagine with all of the little five year olds, it was pretty traumatic here for a bit," said Sgt. Robert Pitt.
The 16-year-old victim was taken to the hospital, while police combed the neighborhood for evidence and tried to piece together this crime.
As of 10:00 PM newstime, police said the teenager was still in critical condition at St. John's Hospital.
The suspect was also still on the loose.
Police say the two teens were schoolmates at Hillcrest High School.
They do know the suspect, and say he's been in trouble in the past.
**We'll have the latest updates here throughout the night, and in the morning KSPR News This Morning beginning at 5 AM.
Story ideas or comments? Email me at wcarter@kspr.com .
(Breaking News: First Reports)
Around 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Springfield Police got a call that a teen had been shot multiple times at the 700 block of West Chicago.
KSPR was first on the scene.
The investigation is ongoing, but it appears that a 16-year-old boy was shot several times during his five-year-old sibling's birthday party. Several children were at the home at the time of the shooting.
Police say the two teens were possibly classmates and friends. The victim is 16, and police say the suspect is close to the same age. During the party, the suspect showed up at the victim's front door. Police say the two teens got into an argument, and then the visiting teen shot the victim multiple times. Investigators won't say where the teen was shot, but neighbors tell KSPR, he had head injuries. The teen is currently in criticial condition.
Police say both of the teens went to Hillcrest High School. They're still looking for the suspect, who has been in trouble with the law before.
Check back here for any updates and on KSPR News at 10.
; "Click for StormVision Doppler Radar")
Most Viewed