On the evening of July 5, 2021, a July Fourth celebration in the courtyard of the Ferry Grider Homes housing complex in Buffalo, New York, ended in gunfire. A man exited a vehicle and fired numerous shots into the crowd. Four people were struck, including three adult men and 3-year-old Shaquille Walker Jr., who was hit in the head.

Shaquille was taken to a children’s hospital and died there on July 9, 2021, after four days on life support. Buffalo Police identified two people from nearby Cheektowaga connected to the attack: the man alleged to have fired the shots and the driver who brought him to and from the scene. Both were arrested and charged for their roles in the shooting and the injuries it caused.

The case left a community mourning a child killed during a holiday celebration. If anyone witnessed the shooting or has information about that night, please share what was seen or heard.