Family Mourns 12-Year-Old Boy Killed In Drive-By Shooting
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - A 12-year-old boy was shot in front of his home in the Eastwood section of Fort Worth over the weekend. The shooting happened around 11:00 p.m. Saturday night and the boy succumbed to his injuries earlier today.
Police are still looking for the suspects in the deadly drive-by shooting that also injured a teenager.
It was just six month ago when a large family eagerly moved into the house in the 4400 block of Eastover Avenue. Now, dozens of bullet holes, both outside and inside, are reminders of the night young James Hardemon was killed.
James' mother, Tanisha Winston, said, "I'm scared to stay here [with] my mama, my kids in that house. They were trying to kill everybody in there. We can't go back into that house."
On Saturday evening most everyone at the house had gone to bed, after spending the day outdoors. Family members say James had gone back outside when moments later a car pulled up, and several shots rang out.
James' 9-year-old brother, Christian Johnson, witnessed the shooting. "I was outside," the little boy recalled. "I was right there in the doorway. I was outside when they shot him."
The boy's cousin, Demarion Taylor, was also outside and was shot in the leg. The 17-year-old is having a hard time dealing with James' death. "That's my little cousin and he's gone, man. Hey, I wish it was me instead of my little cousin, 'cause my cousin ain't did nothing to nobody."
James' grandmother, Coralin Winston, was at the home when the shooting happened, but thought her grandson was asleep inside when she heard the gunshots. "So I went through the house calling his name but he didn't answer. So, I looked out the window," Winston said that when she realized James wasn't inside. "I saw him laying in the driveway and when I went over to him. Oh God… when I went to him. They [had] shot my baby in the face. Oh God!"
Paramedics rushed James to Cook Children's Medical Center and for more than 24 hours he fought to live, but ultimately couldn't recover from his injuries.
James Hardemon was a student at Dunbar Middle School. Loved ones say he had a great sense of humor and was well mannered -- often helping neighbors carry in groceries. "I'm gonna miss everything about him. He's supposed to be right here," his mother said as tears ran down her face. "My baby's 12-years-old. Twelve. He had his whole life ahead of him. Somebody's gonna take that away from him. Somebody's just gonna take that away from him?"
James wasn't alone when he died around 1 a.m. Monday; several family members were by his side.
Fort Worth police detectives say at least two suspects got out of a dark-colored, 4-door car and shot at the house. At least one of the suspect's fired with a high-powered rifle.
As it stands, police have no suspects and have given no information on the possible motive behind the attack.
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