MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Wednesday would have been Carnell Williams Thomas' fourth birthday, but the young boy was killed by a stray bullet in 2017 while playing outside his home.
On Wednesday, his mother spoke exclusively to Local 10’s Ian Margol about her fight for justice.
Dorothy Williams said this has been an excruciating year and a half for her family.
Carnell was shot and killed Dec. 15, 2017, and no one has been held responsible.
"My whole life changed," Williams said. "I keep trying to get used to him not being here but it's so hard."
Carnell's mother said her son was riding his scooter in front of their home at the Arthur Mays Villas, a public housing project at 21491 SW 114th Court, in Goulds, when she heard a pop.
At first, she thought it was a firecracker. But then she saw he had been shot.
"He called me. He said, 'Mommy.' And I was like, 'What?' I was thinking he was just calling me. So I go over there to him. I'm like, 'Yes, what's wrong?' Then he just went stiff," Williams said. "He just went stiff."
The 2-year-old was airlifted to Kendall Regional Medical Center, where doctors pronounced him dead.
"The last time I saw him, he was 2 years old. He will forever be 2 years old, and for his birthday to keep coming by and for me not to see him grow, it's just wrong. It's just wrong," Williams said.
Williams is pleading with someone to come forward with information about the shooting.
"Just for him to be another statistic, I can't live with that. I can't," she said.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477. A reward of up to $37,000 is offered for information that leads to an arrest.