'He was a very loving, sweet person': Mom seeks answers after son, 16, killed in Daytona Beach shooting
Teen killed in Daytona Beach shooting
A 16-year-old boy is dead following a shooting in Daytona Beach Wednesday night, according to police. Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young identified the victim as Fredrick Cooper, a Spruce Creek High School student. "He was a very loving, sweet person, very good sense of humor," said Cooper's mother, Sonya Jackson.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - A 16-year-old boy is dead following a shooting in Daytona Beach Wednesday night, according to police.
Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young identified the victim as Fredrick Cooper, a Spruce Creek High School student.
News conference: Daytona Beach police chief shares update after 16-year-old shot, killed
A 16-year-old boy is dead after being shot multiple times in Daytona Beach Wednesday night, according to police. The shooting happened shortly before 9:45 p.m. on Hudson Street. No arrests have been made at this time.
Shortly before 9:45 p.m., officers with the Daytona Beach Police Department were called to the 400 block of Hudson Street near Hawk Street regarding a person shot. When officers arrived, they found Cooper suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to a local hospital where he died of his injuries.
Pictured: Fredrick Cooper (Photo via Daytona Beac Police Department)
Cooper's mother, Sonya Jackson, said her son was walking a friend home when he was shot. She said she's appreciative of the large impact her son made in a short time.
"He was a very loving, sweet person, very good sense of humor," she said. "And I just want justice for my son."
Investigators are searching for the gunman and are working to learn the motive of the shooting.
"This is a senseless act of violence on a 16-year-old," Young said. "He hasn't even begun to live his life, and it's been taken from him."
A witness described the suspect as a young man dressed in black and wearing a black mask, according to a police report. The suspect was seen running on Henry Butts Drive toward Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard.
Some of Cooper's friends and classmates visited the neighborhood to form a makeshift memorial. Several of them expressed concerns about the growing amount of gun violence in the area. FOX 35 News spoke with a neighbor who lives directly next to the shooting scene.
"Anyone could’ve got hit. Honestly, anyone," he said. "People [are] scared to even let their kids out the door today."
Anyone with information about the murder is asked to contact Detective Zach Ravi at 386-671-5245 or email ravizachary@dbpd.us.