A 1-year-old was killed and a man was wounded early Sunday when someone shot into a home in South Dallas, police say.
The shooting happened about 3:30 a.m. in the 2900 block of Valentine Street.
The child was identified as Rory Norman by the Dallas County Medical Examiner. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital, just weeks before he would have turned 2 years old.
Rory's 20-year-old uncle, who was home from college for the holidays, was also shot. He was in stable condition at a local hospital Sunday afternoon, Dallas Police Chief U. Renee Hall said.
Neighbors said they were awakened by the sound of gunfire.
"That's how loud it was," said Terry Lockridge, who has lived next door for 26 years. "It woke me up. It sounded like somebody was beating on the garage."
Lockridge said he sometimes talked to Rory through the back fence.
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"He was an inspirational little boy," he said. "I used to give him candy, donuts, cookies. I'd give him something to drink."
Dallas police released a photo of Rory on Sunday and a video of the little boy repeating his name.
At a news conference Sunday, Hall said the shooting was intentional and the location had been targeted.
She said the suspect must have known the layout of the home because, armed with a rifle, the shooter went to the side of the residence where the bedrooms were and opened fire.
"He angled the weapon in the downward position and because it was 3:30 in the morning, he knew the residents would be asleep and so he knew where to fire," she said.
The shooter remained at large Sunday.
Hall, who on Thursday released a new crime-fighting plan for the city of Dallas, called on the community to speak up and said police would find the person responsible.
"It happened on my watch and I am angry and this [expletive] has to stop in this city," Hall said.
The victim's cousin said the family kept a low profile.
"They don't bother people. They mind their business," Keeyia Nealy said. "They were going to church."
Nealy said the crime should be a wake-up call for the city.
"This is ridiculous," she said. "The crime in Dallas is too high, especially for children doing shootings. For what?"
Rory's death is the third homicide in the city of Dallas in 2020. Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at 214-373-8477.
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson called the shooting a "shameless act of gun violence."
"This is intolerable, and as the father of two young boys, I am both saddened and outraged," Johnson said on Twitter. "We have to do all we can to keep our children safe, and we must bring this killer to justice swiftly."
Crime Stoppers will offer up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest and indictment for the felony offense. Crime Stoppers phone number is 214-373-8477.
