SAN ANTONIO – A drive-by shooting that killed a 4-year-old boy and wounded his mother on the city's East Side was gang-related, San Antonio police Chief William McManus said.
The victim was identified as De-Earlvion Whitley. His mother's name has not been released. She was taken to University Hospital with a leg injury.
The shooting was reported just before midnight Wednesday at a home in the 200 block of Hub Avenue.
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A 7-year-old, who was also inside the home at the time of the shooting, wasn't injured.
"Unfortunately, we believe the intended victim was expected to be there or lives at that place or residence," McManus said. He wouldn't say who he thought was the intended target, citing a "wide open investigation."
McManus said the shooting may have been a retaliatory hit to a shooting Wednesday afternoon in the 100 block of Spriggsdale. At least two people were injured in the shooting and four people were arrested.
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He said one of the vehicles that officers stopped in connection with the Spriggsdale shooting was "loaded up with guns and ammunition."
McManus said his officers are looking into the possibility that the drive-by was an "intergang argument, gang against gang or an individual argument that has gang affiliations."
He had a message for the drive-by shooter.
"We will arrest you at some point. It may not be today or tomorrow, but we will arrest you at some point. We will not stop until we arrest you," McManus said.
The chief said patrols will be beefed up in the area.
"We will be out there in force. We will be visible. We will be saturating the area with police officers. You may see them, and you may not," he said.
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