There have been 834 civilians shot and killed by American law enforcement officers this year, and six-year-old Jeremy David Mardis in Marksville, Louisiana is the youngest so far.
According to the Washington Post, Mardis was sitting up front in the passenger’s seat while his dad, Chris Few, drove. When city marshals tried to serve Few a warrant, he fled. As Few backed his car out, hitting police vehicles in the process, two officers opened fire.
Few sustained injuries that left him hospitalized but still alive. Unfortunately for the autistic first grader, two of the five bullets that struck him in the head and chest were fatal. Avoyelles Parish coroner L. J. Mayeux had a difficult time grasping the situation.
“Days like these I wish I was a plumber,” he said. “These last two days have been bad, and it’s getting worse.” Col. Mike Edmonson, head of the Louisiana State Police, shared similar sentiments. “Anytime an individual is killed, especially a child, it’s a tragedy,” he told reporters.
The situation is currently being investigated and, per protocol, the officers involved are currently on leave. Grief counseling is also being offered to students at Lafargue Elementary School, where Mardis attended.
“We are deeply saddened by this loss. It was a tragedy and we have had a rough couple of days around here dealing with it. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family in this extremely trying time,” Blaine Dauzat, superintendent of the Avoyelles Parish School district, said in an email.
