The heartbroken family members of a 3-year-old boy who was killed in a drive-by shooting during a child's birthday party at a Fort Lauderdale park over the weekend is speaking out as the search for whoever is responsible intensifies.
Relatives of Rylo Yancy gathered Wednesday at Riverland Park, the scene of Sunday's shooting that took the 3-year-old's life.
Yancy was attending another child's birthday party at the park when the drive-by shooting unfolded. The boy was hit by the gunfire and died from his injuries.
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Family members remembered the toddler as wise beyond his years and said he enjoyed being an usher at church.
"Rylo is about the youngest one in our family. Rylo is just a little sweetheart, he's a little usher, he's always trying to help and I didn't know it was going to be my last time Sunday kissing Rylo, I didn't know this," aunt Beverly Isaac said.
"Rylo was different, he wasn't an average baby," grandfather Jerrold Pough said. "He was 3 years old but he had the mind of a 20-year-old."
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Police said detectives identified and located one of the vehicles involved, but said no arrests have been made.
A new $10,000 Crime Stoppers reward was announced Wednesday in Yancy's killing, and the family said they need help from the public.
"It don’t make no sense. He was a sweet, innocent child. And whoever's out there needs to say something. If you’re out there, please say something. We need closure (19:00) and the only way we’re going to get closure is for somebody to come forward," aunt Brenda Baker said.
"We are devastated by the loss of Rylo," cousin Damia Gilner said. "We need your continued support in holding those accountable for their actions. It is critical that we get justice for Rylo."
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis and Police Chief Bill Schultz spoke earlier Wednesday about the shooting of Yancy and other recent gun violence in the city that detectives are working to solve.
“We are receiving active leads which we are pursuing 24 hours a day. We still need more information," Schultz said.
Yancy's family wants whoever is responsible to turn themselves in.
"I want them to have the audacity to just turn themself in, cause they don't know how special he was to me, to my family, to the world," Pough said.
