A five-year-old girl was shot and killed by a gunman who also shot her mother in the head in a residential neighborhood on Cleveland's west side, the Associated Press reported.
Authorities were looking for information on the shooter who killed Jermani Brooks, and shot her mother, Noni Brooks, in the head while they were sitting in their vehicle on Sunday, according to the AP.
Jermani's birthday was this Thursday and her family plans on holding a vigil for her that day, according to the AP. Her mother is still in the hospital but was reported in to be in fair condition on Monday.
According to police, the mother and daughter were sitting in their car when a man in a green SUV drove up next to their vehicle, got out and began shooting at the car, the AP reported.
The shooter fled immediately after but police are still investigating all leads and are urging anyone with information to come forward, according to the AP.
Investigators tracked the vehicle to an address and surrounded the area on Monday with a SWAT team and negotiators, but the man in question was not present, the AP reported.
The victim's family released a statement also pleading for anyone with information to come forward and help solve the five-year-old's death, according to the AP.
"The family would like privacy at this time during the mourning and loss of a beautiful child, Jermani Brooks, whose life was taken at such a young age. Please keep the family in your prayers for the recovery of her mother, Noni Brooks. If anyone knows the whereabouts of the person of interest PLEASE come forward," the statement said, according to the AP.
"Every homicide has an impact on our community, but that kind of violence toward innocent children is particularly heinous," the city said in a statement, the AP reported.
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