Community Demands End To Violence After Toddler's Shooting Death

HARTFORD, CT — A crowd of more than 100 gathered for a vigil in front of a North End bodega Monday night following the shooting death of a 3-year-old two days earlier, according to The Hartford Courant. The vigil was organized by Mothers United Against Violence and assembled near La Caribena Grocery at 175 Nelson St.

The vigil comes after a weekend of violence in the capital city. Hours after the child was shot, a 16-year-old was shot and killed less than a mile away, WTNH reported. At the vigil, the community called out "enough is enough."

The 3-year-old victim in the Saturday afternoon drive-by shooting was Randell Jones of Hartford, NBC CT reported. The child was inside a car with his mother and siblings aged 4 and 5, Fox 61 reported.

Police said the target of the shooting was also inside the car and that the shooting was intentional, Fox 61 reported. Police said a passenger in a black Honda Accord pulled alongside another vehicle and began firing shots, apparently at a male passenger who fled the scene following the shooting, NBC Connecticut reported.

Police have since found the suspect's vehicle, which was stolen out of Windsor Locks. The search for the suspect continues.

The 16-year-old shot and killed hours later on Saturday was Ja’Mari Preston, a student at a Capitol Region Education Council school. Police now believe the two shootings are connected, according to The Hartford Courant.

See related: Child 3, Shot, Killed In Hartford Identified: UPDATE