TAMARAC, FL – A 3-year-old girl was fatally shot inside a Broward County Extended Stay America location on Saturday morning. Although two individuals related to the case were detained in Lauderhill later on, police have since released them. No arrests have been made, according to Claudinne Caro, Public Information Officer for the Broward County Sheriff’s Office (BSO).
The disturbing incident unfolded when the BSO received a shooting report around 8:19 a.m. near the 3000 block of West Commercial Boulevard in Tamarac. Upon reaching the scene, deputies found the child, accompanied by a woman, suffering from a gunshot wound. The paramedics pronounced the child, identified as Deyonnie, dead on the scene.
Deyonnie’s mother remembered her as a lively and playful child who would always crave yogurt in the mornings and run around the motel in her tiny pink, sparkly Crocs. A trip to Disney World was all set to celebrate her 4th birthday on 31st December.
However, a devastating shooting ruined the plans that Deyonnie had with her mom. The mother recalled waking up to a horrific sight where the innocent child lay in a pool of blood, prompting her to dial 911 immediately. There are differing views at Extended Stay America, where guests are debating whether the child accidentally shot herself or became the inopportune victim of crossfire.
One of the residents, Gwen Denton, recounted the shocking scene to Rynor. Having stayed at the hotel since June, Denton expressed her sadness at the little girl’s abrupt death but admitted she wasn’t entirely surprised considering the questionable activities and drug use she had noticed while staying there.
BSO continues the investigation, urging anyone with information regarding the shooting to contact Broward County Crime Stoppers.