Looking for answers after shooting in Clewiston kills one child, injures another

WINK News is pushing for more information after a shooting Friday afternoon in Clewiston killed one child and injured another. Investigators in Hendry County are trying to determine whether or not the shooting was accidental.

A witness says she saw one child crawling around on the ground in the parking lot afterward.

But, many people still have questions about what led up to this shooting and who was involved. People still want to know “who fired the gun?” “Who owned the gun?” “Was the shooting an accident?”

As investigators work to piece together how two children were shot in car in a Subway parking lot, the community is still struggling with the shock of a four-year-old’s life being cut short.

Their five-year-old sibling was injured and a family has been changed forever.

Diane Hodges lives in Clewiston. “It’s just a sad situation for a small community like this it’s devastating it happened,” Hodges said.

Isabelle Humphrey has a four-year-old great-grandchild and she says he can’t imagine the family’s pain.

“It’s just sad and hurtful. We love everybody. I’m sorry it happened,” Humphrey said. “It affects you too you know. It affects the whole community.”

The Hendry County Sheriff said on Friday that the shooting may have been accidental but they’re investigating it as a homicide until they know for sure.

The parents are facing questioning as the community continues to wonder why it happened.

“I don’t understand why people carry and not conceal it when they leave the vehicle if they’re going to leave children in the car,” said Hodges.

“Children get into things,” Hodges said.

Neighbors say they are heartbroken for the family, who has to bury a four-year-old and watch a five-year-old recover.

“I really feel bad for the parents that they have to go through this,” Hodges said.

“We just have to pray for one another and pray that it gets better each day,” said Humphrey.

Over the weekend, the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office said the five-year-old was in stable condition. WINK News asked for an update on their condition today but did not hear back on that.

WINK News reporter Breana Ross spoke with neighbors who say the family lives in the Harlem Community where a 20-year-old woman was shot at the Brown Sugar Festival less than two weeks ago.

A neighbor said he is heartbroken that another tragedy has hit someone in his community.