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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Two years ago, a seven-year-old boy was killed by a stray bullet while watching fireworks in Tampa.
The family of Yitzian Torres-Garcia said they still don’t have answers.
The shooting happened on the Courtney Campbell Causeway during Fourth of July celebrations in 2023.
Marisol Ayala, the boy’s grandmother, said she’s heard almost nothing from detectives investigating the case. Despite the dozens of people gathered for the fireworks that night, no arrests have been made.
“So why is nobody arrested?” Ayala said. “Two years, I only saw the detective once. No calls, no nothing.”
Ayala’s questions echo with heartbreak as she relives the pain of losing her grandson.
“Every day, it affects me because he was 7 years old,” Ayala said. “He had a good life, we spoiled him a lot, and he had nothing to do with this.”
According to the family, an argument over jet-skis among a group of people near the causeway escalated into gunfire. That’s when Yitzian was struck by a stray bullet.
“If you are going to have an argument or a fight, fight, but why do you have to pull out guns and take an innocent person?” Ayala said.
When asked about the investigation’s status, Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw told the family deserves justice.
“No child’s life should end while watching fireworks on the Fourth of July,” he said.
Ayala said her family has been left in the dark.
“So many cameras, so many pictures, so many recordings,” she said, expressing frustration that so far no one has been held accountable.
She added that the boy’s grandfather is also struggling. He was shot in the hand while trying to shield his grandson — resulting in the loss of his finger, a painful, permanent reminder of the tragedy.
The family said they’re desperate for answers and justice as another Fourth of July passes without closure.
Crimestoppers is offering a $25,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.