PONTIAC, Mich (WXYZ) — Another innocent life falls victim to gun violence.
Oakland County Sheriff’s office says 7-yr-old Ariah Jackson was killed on Friday during a drive by shooting.
Officials say she was in her driveway near Paddock and Wilson in Pontiac, returning home from school, when two men in an orange SUV drove up and fired at least six shots into the car. Striking Jackson who was in the backseat.
“I’m broken” says Sonya Tiggs who lives behind Jackson and her family. The hurt for Tiggs is personal, imagining her 7-year-old granddaughter caught in the crossfire.
“It’s the innocent little bity babies that haven’t even grown up yet that haven’t had a chance in life, to lose their life over this stupidity about a gun,” says Tiggs.
Jacksons mother, who was also shot in the head, but is recovering, says she saw the orange SUV when she was picking up her two daughters two nieces from the bus stop. So its suspected a man spayed her car with bullets knowing children were inside.
"This is senseless you have a 7-year-old year old dead you had our sheriffs responding to a dangerous situation and having to load a near lifeless body of a 7-year-old and rush them to the hospital in our patrol car because we didn’t want to waste a second,” says Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard.
Sheriff Bouchard says they have two people of interest, but no one has been arrested or charged, yet.
“We’re going to catch them, we are coming for the people that do this.”
But Sheriff Bouchard says they need the communities help. The Sheriff’s office is asking anyone with information to reach out, and help bring some answers to the mourning family.
Sheriff Bouchard says he will be seeking the harshest punishments possible for the people involved at both the county and federal level.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help Ariah's family. Click on https://gofund.me/70acbc35 if you'd like to donate.
