5-year-old boy dies after being shot in Parkway Village, police say

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A 5-year-old boy is dead after being shot overnight in Parkway Village, according to the Memphis Police Department (MPD).

“When you think about a 5-year-old, he’s dead before he had the chance to live,” said LaDell Beamon, Heal the Hood Foundation owner.

Heal the Hood founder LaDell Beamon was heartbroken when he heard the news of a 5-year-old losing his life to gun violence.

Memphis Police said the shooting happened on Chancellor Cove around 11 p.m.

The child was found in critical condition with a gunshot wound and rushed to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital.

Sadly, that boy did not survive and died at the hospital, police said.

The five-year-old is the first juvenile killed in 2023 according to MPD.

“It’s time to start waking up and really start digging deep inside ourselves and think about safety precautions. Why are we doing some of the things we doing? Why is there a loaded gun in the household? Why is there violence in the household being promoted around kids period,” said Beamon.

Beamon said his non-profit organization is working with parents and kids to curb gun violence across the city.

A man and a woman were both detained at the scene, though no charges against either were immediately announced.

“We got to encourage parents to make a change and navigate their lives first so they can make sure their kids turn out productive,” Beamon said.

Memphis Police said their investigation into the child’s shooting is ongoing.

©2022 Imagicomm Memphis, Inc.