Grief counselors on hand for classmates of boy killed in Miami Gardens shooting

6-year-old boy fatally shot while playing with loaded gun

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Grief counselors were on hand Monday for students at a Miami Gardens school where a 6-year-old boy attended before authorities said he was shot and killed after somehow getting a hold of a gun.

Miami Gardens police Detective Carolyn Frazer said the boy was playing with a loaded gun Saturday morning at his home on Northwest 27th Court and accidentally shot himself in the head.

The boy's grandmother identified him as Demetrius Wrentz, who was a student at Rainbow Park Elementary School.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools assigned two grief counselors to spend the day on campus, providing services to anyone in need.

Superintendent Alberto Carvalho also met with the boy's family.

"Obviously, this is a family in a great deal of pain," Carvalho said. "We extended our offer of support also to the family and, obviously, a great deal of support to the sibling, who attends this school as well."

Many students and parents who spoke to Local 10 News weren't aware that the shooting involved someone at the school.

"I don't know how parents, actually, give possession of a gun to a little kid, especially around the house," parent Genesis Salguero said. "That is not safe."

No arrests have been made in connection with the shooting, but police are still investigating.


About the Authors:

Trent Kelly is an award-winning multimedia journalist who joined the Local 10 News team in June 2018. Trent is no stranger to Florida. Born in Tampa, he attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he graduated with honors from the UF College of Journalism and Communications.