A 3-year-old girl and her 21-year-old father are dead after a gunman opened fire on the two while they played in the toddler’s “Frozen” dollhouse at the family’s home.
What are the details?
A gunman fatally shot young Trinity Randolph and her father, Brandon Waddles, during a drive-by shooting Friday in Louisville, Kentucky.
Authorities said that Trinity and her father both sustained multiple gunshot wounds while the two were playing in the toddler’s dollhouse inside the home.
Authorities pronounced Waddles dead at the scene. Trinity died later from her injuries at a local children’s hospital.
Tyronn Howlett, Trinity’s grandfather, said the little girl — who she described as “beautiful, intelligent, [and] joyous,” wished to be a princess when she grew up, and would spend “hours” playing inside the dollhouse.
During a news conference on the killing, Valerie Randolph, the child’s great-grandmother, said, “She was just three years old. It takes a mean, cold, selfish-hearted person to take a little three-year-old’s life.”
Howlett is now demanding answers.
“[I]t was a drive-by, the house was shot up,” he said. “I want answers. I want to know. I just know my baby’s dead.”
Local police have not yet released a motive in the killing, nor have they publicly identified any suspects in the heinous crime. Authorities are still investigating the pair’s murders.
The Courier Journal reports that the shooting death of Waddles and his daughter are the 96th and 97th homicides in Louisville in 2020.
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3-year-old girl, adult die after reported shooting in Jacobs neighborhood
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What else?
Rapper and Louisville native, Percy Miller — known as Master P — announced over the weekend that he would be paying for Trinity’s funeral.
He told the Courier Journal on Sunday, “This is a 3-year-old innocent girl that’s gone from her family, from her future, somebody who could have come out of the community and be the next president, doctor, lawyer, teacher. This is sad.”
In a statement, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer (D) expressed his own sadness.
“My heart breaks for the families of those impacted by the spike in violence we are seeing,” the mayor said. “LMPD is working every day to reduce this spike but they cannot do it alone. Public safety is something we co-produce, law enforcement and the community, and we need the community’s help to stop the shootings. If you see something say something.”
Louisville Metro Councilman Jecorey Arthur, one of Trinity’s cousins, shared a photo of the late toddler on Twitter, pointing followers to a GoFundMe page set up to benefit the family.
He captioned the picture, “My 3-year-old cousin was murdered in broad daylight with her father on Friday. Please visit the link in my bio to support her mother. RIP Trinity. I promise to change this city that has failed you.”
At the time of this writing, the page has received more than $11,000 in donations.
My 3-year-old cousin was murdered in broad daylight with her father on Friday.
Please visit the link in my bio… https://t.co/tntW4iQ6HK— Jecorey Arthur ⚜️ (@Jecorey Arthur ⚜️)1597611291.0