According to a police report, a 6-year-old boy sitting in the back of his mom’s car on a Southern California highway was shot and killed by another motorist on Friday.
About 8:00 a.m, the shooting happened on the northbound side of State Route 55 in Orange, approximately 30 miles southeast of Los Angeles.
Florentino Olivera, the Patrol Officer, has said that it was an instance of road rage between the mother and another person in a white car. He further said that he is not aware if there were any occupants in the white vehicle, but evidently, a shot was fired from that sedan into the silver vehicle, hitting the child in the right rear seat.
The child was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. His identity was not immediately disclosed by the authorities.
For hours, the highway was closed while around a dozen officers cautiously walked the lanes in search of evidence.
The CHP is requesting assistance from all drivers who were on that stretch of freeway between 7:55 a.m. and 8:15 a.m., including those that have dash cams installed in their cars.
Olivera has requested the public that if anyone had seen something wrong, they must report it to the office.
Investigators met with the 6-year-old boy’s mom, who was unharmed, while they attempted to put together the circumstances leading up to the fatal shooting. Additionally, they are attempting to ascertain the number of shots fired.
While police say the gunman was in a white sedan, they do not provide a clear description of the vehicle or assailant.
Olivera characterized the road rage shooting as “isolated” and unrelated to a series of over 60 BB or pellet gun gunshots recorded in Orange, Riverside, and Los Angeles counties over the last three weeks, primarily along the 91 Freeway.
The freeway’s northbound lanes were blocked for more than three hours due to the ongoing inquiry. Before midday, both lanes reopened.
