Vigil Held For Mother And Toddler Killed In Shooting
MIAMI (CBS4) -A Miami mother and her young son were killed when someone opened fire on their home with a high-powered rifle.
The shooting happened just after 1 a.m. at 630 NW 73rd Street in the Victory Homes housing project in the Model City area.
According to Miami police there were six people in home at the time of the shooting. Ciara Lee, 24, and her two-year old son Devon Franklin died in a hail of bullets. Lee's uncle, 49-year old Tony Lee, was shot in the leg. He was taken to the Ryder Trauma Center where he was treated and released.
Tuesday night, In the Victory Housing Project in Liberty City where the mother and toddler were gunned down, nearly 100 family members, friends, and community members prayed, marched, and cried.
Ciara's father Derek Johnson said, "My grandson didn't even have a chance, my daughter- she was just starting. She was just starting to live,".
Johnson dared the shooter or shooters to show their face, yelling out into the crowd of mourners.
"Who hate us!? Tell me that, who hate us! That's what I want to know. Who hate us?"
And he demanded that those in power stop this plague of violence.
"They say we getting this, we getting that but our children continue to die!"
By 3 p.m., police held a press conference and said that the mother and son were not the intended targets of the attack. Miami Police Chief Miguel Exposito said the shooting may have been drug-related based on the type of weapons used.
Police said there was a dispute outside the house, but the nature of the dispute was not known. During the conference, police also said they believe the shooter fled on foot. Police have no suspects.
"This is ridiculous, my grand-baby and my daughter, both of them dead," said Lee's mother Teresa Lee. "They say somebody came and shot up the house. I don't know who did it, but I want you all to catch them. That baby didn't ask for this, he was my only grandson."
Lee said she spoke to her daughter on the phone Monday night never thinking it would be their last conversation.
"I was working and I said when I get off I'm going to come and spend the night with y'all," said Lee who added that Devon was a happy toddler and was really looking forward to Christmas.
"Everything that came on TV, Toys R Us, he said 'I want that, I want that'," said Lee.
This Saturday Lee would have celebrated her one year anniversary with the state's Department of Corrections, according to department spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger. Lee was a dormitory officer at the South Florida Reception Center on N.W. 41st Street.
Warden David Harris told CBS4's Peter D'Oench, "This is a sad day for the South Florida Reception Center. It hits home hard. She was in law enforcement for the state of Florida and she was supervising some of the most hardened criminals in the state of Florida and for her to be a victim of such a crime, it hits home hard."
Harris said Lee was an "outstanding employee" with a "great sense of humor" and a "dedication to detail."
"She was like a butterfly," Harris said. "She could lighten up a room. This was like losing a family member. There was no indication that this crime was related to her job in any way."
According to D'Oench, six people were also in the home at the time of the shooting.
