7-year-old boy shot while sitting outside of apartment in Burlington dies

BURLINGTON, N.C. (WGHP) — A 7-year-old boy who was shot in Burlington has died, according to Burlington police.

Family members identified the 7-year-old as Mason. Investigators say he was hit with a single bullet. He died of his injuries Sunday morning.

Police say he was sitting outside of his apartment when he “was senselessly shot as a bystander.”

Burlington Police Chief Alan Balog released the following statement:

“Our deepest sympathies are with the family and everyone affected by this act of violence. We share the heartbreak of this news along with our community.

“As your police department, we are committed to holding those responsible for this crime accountable and the investigation to gather every available fact is ongoing. Our community needs every person who saw what happened to step forward, do what’s right, and contact the police department.

“Our hearts are with the family, and we promise to do everything in our power to ensure that justice is served.”

Police arrested Tremaine Armstrong, 18, of Burlington, on a charge of attempted first-degree murder and Kemontae Crosby, 21, of Graham, on a charge of accessory after the fact to attempted first-degree murder. Armstrong and Crosby were taken into custody without incident on Friday.

“We are seeking information, big or small, concerning this incident. There were over a dozen people present when the shooting occurred and we need to speak to every one of them,” police said in a statement .

At around 7:54 p.m. on Thursday, officers came to the 1300 block of Beaumont Court after getting multiple calls about a disturbance in an apartment complex and a single gunshot.

People at the apartments said they heard an argument and then a loud, single shot. At first, everyone was unsure if anyone was hit.

While en route to the scene, police learned from additional calls to 911 that the victim in a shooting was a child.

At the scene, officers found a 7-year-old boy suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper body. He was airlifted to a nearby trauma center.

Witnesses at the scene told investigators the child was not involved in the disturbance that led to the shooting.

Anyone with information is asked to call Burlington Police Department at (336) 229-3500. For anonymous methods, such as to report who was present at the time of the shooting, call Alamance County-Wide Crimestoppers at (336) 229-7100 or use the mobile app, P3 Tips. Tips provided through Crimestoppers may be eligible for cash rewards.

“We need everyone’s help to gain the vital information to bring justice to the family of the 7-year-old that was killed in this incident,” police said.

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