A 12-year-old boy is in critical condition after he was accidentally struck by gunfire during a parking lot fight in San Bernardino County on Friday.
Ontario Police said it received calls at 4:15 p.m. reporting a shooting that had just happened at Veterans Park, located at 1341 East D St.
Officers arrived and found a juvenile victim suffering from a single gunshot wound. According to initial reports, the boy was sitting in the rear passenger seat of his family’s car when he was shot.
The police department said officers immediately began treating the young victim with life-saving measures before he was transported to a local trauma center in critical condition.
As of 11 p.m. Friday, officials did not provide any updates on the boy’s condition other than he underwent emergency surgery before being taken to a children’s trauma center for more treatment.
According to the investigation, detectives determined that the violence began as a verbal fight between two men in the parking lot of the park.
During the argument, police said both suspects produced firearms and shot at each other.
“The juvenile victim was not involved in the altercation and was struck during the exchange,” Ontario Police said in a release.
The department identified the suspects as Damian Marquis Berry, 25, of Victorville, and Anthony Dionte Erwing, 35, of Los Angeles.
Officers arrested Berry and Erwing and took them both into custody soon after the shooting.
“Berry is currently on Post Release Community Supervision (PRCS), and Erwing is currently on Los Angeles County Probation,” noted the department. “Each has an extensive criminal history involving violent offenses.”
The Ontario Police Department urged anyone with information regarding this case to contact Detective Gabe Gutierrez at 909-408-1632 or the non-emergency line at 909-986-6711.
In addition, anonymous tips can be submitted to 800-78-CRIME or www.wetip.com.
