A 4-year-old boy was killed while sleeping in his bed after a barrage of gunfire tore through several homes, and four teenagers have now been charged with murder.
Caleb Flax was sleeping at home around 3 a.m. on Sept. 30 when seven armed suspects allegedly opened fire on a residential neighborhood. According to court documents, the group fired at least 84 rounds into four occupied homes and three parked vehicles.
Caleb was struck by gunfire and rushed to the hospital. He was pronounced dead about four hours after the shooting. An adult was also seriously injured but survived.
Investigators believe the shooting may have been carried out as retaliation for an earlier shooting. Court documents say one teenage suspect told detectives that people at a party wanted to “shoot at windows as retaliation.” Authorities later determined that the intended target was a home nearby, but the gunfire struck multiple residences.
Four teenagers, ages 16 and 17, have been charged with murder in connection with Caleb’s death. They also face charges including attempted murder, conspiracy and shooting into occupied properties. A 22-year-old man has separately been charged with being an accessory after the fact for allegedly helping dispose of one of the stolen vehicles used in the shooting.
Caleb’s family has been left grieving the loss of a young child who was simply asleep in his own home when the gunfire erupted.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to determine the full circumstances surrounding the shooting and the roles of everyone involved.