A 14-year-old boy was shot and killed Saturday night during a graduation party in Woodbury, Minnesota. Demaris Nathan Hobbs-Ekdahl was attending the said party with his 16-year-old brother Davion when the shooting occurred.
According to police, Washington County 911 dispatchers received multiple reports around 10:46pm from the 6100 block of Edgewood Avenue about people screaming and the possibility of gunshots being fired. Local news station Kare 11 reported that in one of the calls, one person was heard saying “help me” while the screaming ensued in the background, then the caller disconnected.
Officers who responded to the call found 30 to 40 people at a residence where the party was being held. Upon investigating the scene, police learned that Demaris’ father was the one who drove his son to Regions Hospital in St. Paul but the boy died later on from his injuries.
Trisha Ekdal, the victim’s mother, said Demaris was attending the graduation party when the suspects had threatened Davion with a gun. She said Demaris called her sounding scared and wanted to leave. "He was leaving the scene and they shot the car up and he told his older brother, 'I can't breathe. I can't breathe'."
"They didn't even let me say goodbye to him at the hospital. They took him straight to the morgue." Trisha said.
Witnesses told police that a white SUV was involved and had fled the area after the incident. Investigators said a dark SUV or truck may also be involved.
It is still unclear what led to the shooting and police are still looking into any motives behind the incident. Authorities reported that a number of houses in the area were hit by gunfire but none of the residents were harmed.
Shooting incident in Woodbury: pic.twitter.com/LP0t2Qkbmd
— City of Woodbury MN Public Safety (@WoodburyMNPS) June 6, 2021
In a statement released on Saturday by Woodbury Police: "We believe that the shooters knew each other and that this was not a random act."
Police have launched an ongoing investigation with the help of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension while they are in the process of canvassing the neighborhood as well as interviewing other witnesses.
No arrests have been announced but Woodbury police spokesperson John Altman said they do have leads on suspects.
