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Mom Devastated Over Boy Shot, Killed By Stray Bullet

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A boy who was hit in the head by a stray bullet while he was inside his Minneapolis home on Monday night has died.

The boy has been identified by North Memorial Medical Center as 3-year-old Terrell Mayes. Hospital officials said he passed away around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Minneapolis Police said the shooting incident happened around 7 p.m. on Monday. The city's ShotSpotter system notified police of gunshots in the area of 2600 Block of Colfax Avenue North — in the Hawthorne neighborhood.

When police arrived, officers found the toddler inside the home with adults. He was rushed to North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale, Minn. for treatment where he died Tuesday morning.

Police believe the bullet came from outside the home, but so far no one has been arrested. They said there's no evidence the people inside the home were being targeted.

Holding back tears, Marsha Mayes talked about her youngest child and the night that changed her life forever.

"When I say you disrupted my soul, you disrupted my soul. You took my life," she said.

Marsha Mayes said she had just left her home in north Minneapolis when her sister called her with the news -- a bullet came into the home and hit Terrell.

"But here it is. The devil creeped inside and took my son's life," she said. "He was only three. He didn't get to live his life."

Pastor Jesse Griffin who lives in the neighborhood said he heard what sounded like fireworks going off. When he went outside where he found a bullet hole in the side of his garage.

"We looked out the window and they had everything, roped off, police everywhere," recalled Griffin.

Detectives said they don't know who the shooter is and they're still investigating why someone was firing their gun, ultimately killing the little boy who loved to smile and play.

"There's nothing I can do to bring him back or anything, but whoever has done this needs to come forward," said Marsha Mayes. "Please come forward and do the right thing."

Police are asking anyone who has information on the shooting to call 911. Crime Stoppers of Minnesota is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information. Calls to Crime Stoppers can be made anonymously at 1-800-222-8477(TIPS).

"This is a horrible incident for this child and his family, especially over the holiday season; we again need the public's help," said Minneapolis Police Chief Timothy Dolan in a released statement.

Shannon Canny who lives next door to the home said she knows the family and there is definite sense of loss.

"How do you know offer condolences in a situation like this especially when it's a young child? How do you express sympathy and something that would be encouraging to the family, it's really hard," she said.

Other neighbors said that it's not uncommon to hear gunshots and that, at times, they're not sure whether to call police because they don't know where they're coming from.

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