Exclusive: Cousin Of 15-Year-Old Shooting Victim "Heard More Than 10 Shots"
MIAMI (CBSMiami) — For the first time a loved one is speaking out exclusively to CBS4 after her 15-year-old cousin is riddled with bullets in Northwest Miami-Dade and the Superintendent of Miami-Dade Schools is tweeting that "Another child falls victim to indiscriminate and cowardly gun violence."
Both Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho and the victim's cousin are asking the community for help in solving this crime. According to his cousin, Rud Lacroix is a student at North Miami Senior High School.
Miami-Dade Police say Lacroix was shot "multiple times" just before 10 p.m. last Wednesday at Northwest 8th Avenue and 101st Street.
A source tells CBS4's Peter D'Oench that one of the bullets struck him in the head.
Carvalho tweeted "Another child falls victim to indiscriminate and cowardly gun violence in our community. When will enough be enough? Why would a young teenager be out on the streets late at night? Where are the witness voices of those who know more than fears allow them to reveal?"
Nouse Lacroix, the victim's cousin, said "I really feel bad. I cannot explain it because he is my cousin. He's my godson. That's my Rudy. He is such a good child. I want to hold him."
"He was shot outside my apartment," she said as she pointed to the spot where she found him lying on the ground. "To tell you the truth, I heard more than 10 shots. I heard more than 10 shots."
Lacroix said she felt like a substitute mother because Rudy Lacroix's biological mother is in Haiti. His father is with him inside the Ryder Trauma Center.
"I can't imagine who would have done this," she said. "We don't know. We just don't know what happened. We wish we knew but we just don't know. Rudy is like my son. We cannot wait and we cannot explain this."
She said her cousin liked to play football, basketball and video games.
As Lacroix fought back tears, she said "We just don't know what happened. We don't know. We need help to find out why. Please help us. We pray. Only God knows why. He did not have any enemies. Just help us. Just pray for us."
Lacroix said she too was going to try to visit her cousin inside the Ryder Trauma Center. "He is in very very critical condition and he is in the intensive care unit at the hospital. His father is there. His mother is in Haiti."
"I don't know where he was shot but this is no good," she said. "This is no good."
Sources tell CBS4 that shot spotters in the area detected 17 shots being fired in connection with this case.
Miami-Dade Police say they have no motive and do not have any suspect information to release in this case.
Anyone with information should call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305)471-TIPS (8477).
There's a reward of up to $1,000 and callers will remain anonymous.