3-year-old hospitalized after being shot in leg

Relative says boy's mother involved in dispute with man

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A 3-year-old boy was shot in the leg Sunday following a domestic dispute at his northwest Miami-Dade County home.

The toddler, identified only as Jayden, was rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he is listed in stable condition.

"He got shot and that's the only thing we know right now," said Gilbert Hidalgo, the boy's uncle. "Imagine what can go through somebody's mind. He could've been killed. He's innocent. He doesn't have anything to do with that. It's crazy."

Hidalgo was speaking with other relatives to piece together the dramatic events that led to the gunfire.

Jayden's mother was apparently involved in a dispute with a man who eventually kicked in the family's front door in the 200 block of Northwest 82nd Street. The damage was still evident late Sunday as Local 10 News was invited inside the home, where images showed a doorknob and other parts of the door on the floor.

After the shooting, the unidentified man ran away.

Miami-Dade police were still trying to catch up with the gunman, whom one relative described as an ex-boyfriend to the toddler's mother.

"She's alright," said Hidalgo. "She's a little bit shaken up, but she's trying to tell the police as much as she knows so that they can catch him as quick as possible."

The boy's mom and other family members gathered at the hospital to keep the boy in good spirits. Jayden was said to be doing remarkably well despite his serious injury.

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About the Author:

Terrell Forney joined Local 10 News in October 2005 as a general assignment reporter. He was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, but a desire to escape the harsh winters of the north brought him to South Florida.