Three-year-old shot and killed at a birthday party in Florida

Dozens of shots fired after altercation outside event near Miami

Three-year-old shot and killed at a birthday party in Florida (Getty/iStock)

A three-year-old boy was shot and killed at a children’s birthday party in Florida.

Police say a violent altercation broke out in front of a home in Golden Glades, near Miami, on Saturday night, according to officials.

One person involved in the incident took out a gun and fired dozens of shots before fleeing, witnesses say.

Police who arrived on the scene rushed the child, later identified the youngster as Elijah LaFrance, to hospital were he was pronounced dead.

A 21-year-old woman, who has not been identified, was also shot at the party but is expected to survive her injuries.

Police say that the host of the birthday party rented the property through Airbnb for the event.

“I would say anywhere from 30 to 50 shots,” neighbor Marc Anderson told WPLG Local 10.

“People were running, so we ducked behind his truck and some people ran and hid behind these two trucks.”

Authorities say that officers responded to the scene after an alert from ShotSpotter, an automated gunshot detection system, and an investigation into the killing remains ongoing.

“The preliminary investigation revealed that the victims were attending a child’s birthday party at the residence, which is a short-term rental.  The subject fled in an unknown direction and remains at large,” police said.