12-Year-Old Shot Multiple Times After Allegedly Throwing Snowball at a Moving Car

Playing in the snow should be a fun and innocent part of childhood. But a snowball fight in Connecticut took a near-deadly turn on January 22, 2025. A 12-year-old boy and his 11-year-old friend allegedly threw a snowball at a moving car near Capital Avenue and Park Terrace in Hartford. The driver evidently didn’t think it was funny and reportedly turned the car around. When the vehicle returned to the children, things got scary fast as the driver drew a gun.

Someone inside the vehicle allegedly shot at the children multiple times, WFSB reported. Police arrived and found the 12-year-old with multiple non-life-threatening injuries received in the shooting. Emergency responders took him to Connecticut Children’s for treatment, and doctors expect him to survive. The 11-year-old did not have any injuries.

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Hartford Police Lieutenant Aaron Boisvert told the news outlet, “Thank God [his injuries were] non-life threatening. Could’ve been a lot worse.”

Garfield Haylett told WFSB he heard the shooting while working at his restaurant, which was a block away.

“We can’t have this happening in our community. It’s not good anywhere… Why do we have to live like this? I don’t understand it” he said.

The incident bothered Haylett tremendously, who added, “To put bullets in a child, it’s really disturbing.”

Police reportedly have video surveillance from the area and are continuing to investigate the shooting. Anyone with information should contact the Hartford Police Department.

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According to a report by KFF, those exposed to gun violence at an early age may struggle with mental health later in life.

“Many children and adolescents experience violence within their communities. Firearm homicides occurring within an adolescent’s community have been linked to anxiety and depression among adolescents, particularly for females,” the report notes. “Other analyses have similarly found an association between incidents of neighborhood firearm homicides and poor mental health outcomes among youth.”

KFF also reported that children who suffer firearm injuries face an increased risk of mental health issues. “Additionally, the increases in psychiatric disorders were more pronounced among youth with more severe firearm injuries compared to youth with less severe firearm injuries. Youth gunshot survivors are more likely to utilize mental health services following their injury compared to their uninjured peers.”