$5,000 reward offered for information on fatal shooting of 3-year-old boy

Reward offered for information on fatal drive-by shooting

The shooting, which is believed to be an act of gang retaliation, took the life of a toddler.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - A $5,000 reward is being offered for information that would lead to an arrest after a three-year-old boy was killed in a drive-by shooting, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said.

The toddler, identified by deputies as Daquane James Felix Jr., lost his life in what Orange County Sheriff John Mina believes was an act of gang retaliation. The incident happened on Tuesday night on Drexel Avenue. Gunfire hit a home and cars sped away from the scene, witnesses said.

Toddler shot and killed in Orange County

The little boy had just turned 3 this past weekend, the grandmother told FOX 35 News.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office said that the young child was found shot and was declared dead at the scene. No one else was injured.

According to the boy's grandmother, Daquane had just turned three-years-old this last weekend and she wants whoever is behind the shooting to "just turn themselves in."

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In a news conference on Wednesday, Sheriff Mina said that local gangs have resulted in a rash of violence and that they believe this drive-by shooting was an act of gang retaliation.

Shooting deaths of kids tied to gang violence

The Orange County Sheriff's Office believes that two fatal drive-by shootings, one where a three-year-old child lost his life and another where one teen was killed and another is in critical condition, were acts of gang retaliation.

The Sheriff's Office has assembled a task force with the Orlando Police Department, the State Attorney's Office, and the U.S. Attorney's Office to stop gang violence.

Investigators said they need the community to report gang activity, even if it means turning a family member in. They ask if you see people loading guns into cars or if you see known gang members gathering, please call Crimeline anonymously at 1-800-423-TIPS.

Tune in to FOX 35 Orlando for the latest Central Florida news.