A Sunday afternoon birthday party at a Fort Lauderdale park turned into chaos and desperation after someone driving by shot a 3-year-old boy, who later died at the hospital.
People were at Riverland Park, at 900 SW 27th Ave., celebrating a child’s birthday about 4:30 p.m. Sunday when gunshots erupted and the shooter or shooters immediately fled, according to Fort Lauderdale Police.
The boy who died was identified by police Monday as Rylo Yancy, who turned 3 in May.
In multiple 911 calls released Monday, people could be heard screaming and crying in the background, frantically asking for an ambulance. One man who called 911 from near the park heard the gunshots but did not see anyone hurt.
“There’s panic,” someone in the background of the call could be heard telling the 911 operator. “People are running away.”
One call began with a woman yelling at someone to go into a bathroom. She told the dispatcher, quickly and exasperated, “A baby just got shot! We’re at Riverland Park!”
Another woman took the phone and told the dispatcher she believed the baby was one year old.
“OK, where is the person with the gun?” the dispatcher asked.
“Please God! Oh God!” someone screamed.
“Where is the person with the gun, ma’am?” No one answered the dispatcher, and only guttural screaming and commotion could be heard in the background before the call disconnected.
Another woman who called 911 repeatedly and urgently told the dispatcher they were at Riverland Park. “What the f— happened?!” she shouted to someone.
“A baby just got shot! We’re at Riverland Park! We’re at Riverland Park! … Please hurry up! Please hurry up! Please come!” she said to the dispatcher. Shouting and sirens blared in the background.
While the dispatcher repeatedly asked how old the baby was, the caller asked people in the background what happened. More screams, sirens and shouting filled the silence.
“What happened?! Tell me what happened! I do not know what happened!” the woman said to someone.
Officers and Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue arrived and took Rylo to Broward Health Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. He was pronounced dead there, police said in a news release Monday.
Detectives have identified and found one of the cars involved in the drive-by shooting, but no arrests had been made as of Monday evening.
Authorities ask anyone with information to call Det. Juan Rodriguez at 954-828-6673, the Homicide Tipline at 954-828-6677 or Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.
