Police in Louisiana likely shot and killed a 6-year-old boy in a hail of gunfire on Tuesday after a car chase with the boy's father.
Mardis's father, Chris Few, fled officers after they served him an arrest warrant. He drove to a dead-end and was reportedly backing his car toward police when officers opened fire.
The boy, Jeremy Mardis, died of several gunshots to the chest and head. The bullets likely came from outside the driver's window while the boy was in the passenger seat, which implicates police who were shooting at Mardis's father, according to the coroner.
Rest in Peace #JeremyMardis. 6 years old. #KilledByPolice pic.twitter.com/hrkB5a8iYB— T. Thorn Coyle (@ThornCoyle) November 5, 2015
The officers who shot into the vehicle are city marshals with police powers. The Marksville Police Department requested an investigation into the shooting, which Louisiana state police will conduct.
Louisiana state police officer Scott Moreau said earlier this week that it's not clear who fired the bullets that killed Mardis, though there is no indication that anyone other than officers had a gun at the time.
Few is in serious condition. It's not clear why police were trying to serve him a warrant.
If police did kill Mardis, the boy would be the youngest person to die at the hands of American police this year, according to The Guardian. American police have killed at least 964 people so far in 2015.