Police said a 12-year-old boy shot and killed in Bridgeport Tuesday night was an innocent bystander.
Clinton Howell was walking with two other males, one over the age of 18 the other under 18, when he was hit once in the chest by gunfire. Police believe one or both of his companions were the target of the drive-by shooting, which could have been part of an ongoing dispute.
Police chief Armando Perez said they’re working diligently to get justice for Howell and his family.
“I guarantee you - guarantee you - somebody's going to be in custody very quickly,” Perez said.
Capt. Brian Fitzgerald said detectives are going through a lot of physical, video, and witness evidence gathered in the case.
“We’re looking at several individuals right now,” Fitzgerald told reporters at a press conference Wednesday afternoon. “We’ve identified one strong person of interest. We’re not sure if the suspects intentionally drove to that location or if it was a chance meeting.”
Fitzgerald said one of the suspects is known to police.
The city recently announced the installation of Shotspotter, the gun detection system. Fitzgerald said ShotSpotter was in beta development mode at the time of the shooting. It’s set to go live Thursday.
The boy's death is the city's 11th homicide in 2018.
Clinton Howell would have been 13 next month.
