Crime & Safety
Mom, 20, Baby Fatally Shot In Drive-By Shooting In Hartford: Reports
The mother and baby were shot and killed, while a third-person was also injured in the triple shooting.
HARTFORD, CT — A 20-year-old mother and a 4-month-old baby boy were killed in a drive-by shooting Tuesday afternoon, WFSB 3 TV reports.
The shooting took place around 3 p.m. on New Britain Avenue, WFSB 3 TV reported. A third person was also shot.
The triple shooting occurred near Hillside Avenue and Zion Street, WTNH News 8 reported. News 8 reports that the third person, who was shot, suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Find out what's happening in Greater Hartfordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Police told NBC CT that the triple shooting took place adjacent to a grocery store. The victims have been identified as Jessiah Mercado, 20, and Messiah Diaz, 4-month-old, NBC CT reported.
Police told WFSB 3 that “We believe that our victim’s vehicle was pulled up alongside our suspect vehicle who opened fire into the vehicle, striking our victims."
Find out what's happening in Greater Hartfordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
No details have yet been released regarding the suspect and their vehicle.
State Sen. Paul Cicarella, ranking senator on the Public Safety and Security Committee, and Sen. Stephen Harding issued the following joint statement Tuesday regarding the fatal shooting.
“Absolutely tragic. An innocent mother and her infant child violently struck down. We pray for the victims and their families.
“And we must remember them.
“These tragedies keep happening in Connecticut. They repeatedly get swept under the rug. The lawlessness and the violence occurs every day.
“It can be numbing. But we cannot allow our state to become numb.
“We must focus on improving public safety in a meaningful and bipartisan way in the 2025 session of the Connecticut legislature.”
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
