Police said the child was shot Friday evening on Vine Street and later died after being flown to a Cleveland hospital.
EASTLAKE, OH — A 3-year-old boy died after he was shot Friday evening at an Eastlake apartment complex and taken first to a Willoughby hospital, police said.
The shooting drew a response from Eastlake police, local medical workers and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, which is now assisting with the case. Police said the child was wounded at the Willowood Apartment Complex on Vine Street. No charges had been announced as of Monday, and investigators had not said whether the shooting was accidental or intentional.
Eastlake police said officers responded at about 7:18 p.m. Friday after the child was brought to UH Lake West Medical Center in Willoughby with a gunshot wound to the stomach. Investigators later determined the shooting happened at the apartment complex in Eastlake. The child underwent emergency surgery and was stabilized before he was flown to Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland. Police later said the boy died from his injuries. A neighbor, Liddy Pridemore, said residents were left with basic questions. “We don’t even know why they were shot,” Pridemore said. “Was it an accident, who knows?”
Police have not released the child’s name, the names of any adults connected to the case or a full account of how the gunfire happened. They also have not said whether a firearm was recovered, whether anyone was in custody or whether anyone else was inside the apartment when the shot was fired. The case remained active through the weekend, with officers processing the scene and interviewing people who may have information. The Eastlake Police Department said it extended its deepest condolences to the child’s family and said its thoughts and prayers remained with them during what the department called an extremely difficult time.
The Willowood Apartment Complex sits on Vine Street in Eastlake, a Lake County city east of Cleveland. The shooting moved quickly from a local emergency call to a broader investigation because of the child’s age, the fatal injury and the unanswered questions about the weapon and the circumstances inside or near the apartment. The child was first taken to UH Lake West Medical Center, a hospital just outside Eastlake in neighboring Willoughby, before he was transferred to Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, a major pediatric hospital in Cleveland. Police have described the victim as 3 years old, though some early reports referred to the wounded child as younger before the department confirmed the death.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is now part of the inquiry, while Eastlake police continue their own investigation. BCI is often called in to help local departments process major scenes, collect evidence and support interviews or forensic work. In this case, investigators were working to determine what happened before the child arrived at the hospital, where the gun was fired and who had access to it. Police had not announced a news conference, a court hearing or a charging decision by Monday. The next public step is expected to come when investigators release an update on the cause of the shooting or any possible criminal case.
Neighbors said the shooting left the apartment complex shaken. Pridemore told local reporters that residents did not know what led to the gunfire and were waiting for answers from police. The uncertainty was part of the shock, she said, because people nearby knew only that a very young child had been critically hurt. The visible police response at the apartment complex added to the concern as officers worked at the scene and gathered statements. Police have not described the exact apartment, the number of witnesses or the relationship between the child and the people being interviewed.
The investigation remained open Monday, May 18, with Eastlake police and BCI still reviewing evidence and interviews. Authorities had not released the child’s identity or announced any arrests.
Author note: Last updated May 18, 2026.