ARMON BURTON - 3 yo - Jackson MS

Hinds supervisor asks for increase in reward in case of slain toddler
Graham seeks $1,000 increase

Published 8:20 AM CDT Jun 02, 2014
By Andrew Kinsey

JACKSON, Miss. —A Hinds County Supervisor is expected to ask for a Crime Stoppers reward in the case of a toddler who was shot and killed to be doubled to $2,000.

Supervisor Robert Graham is expected to make the request at Monday's board of supervisors meeting at 9 a.m.

Armon Burton, 3, was shot and killed when someone fired nearly 30 rounds at his father's house on Queen Marie Lane on May 22.

If you have any information in the case call Crime Stoppers at 601-355-TIPS.

Read more: http://www.wapt.com/news/central-mississippi/jackson/hinds-supervisor-asks-for-increase-in-reward-in-case-of-slain-toddler/26284046#ixzz33UZmqJfw


Read more: http://www.wapt.com/news/central-mississippi/jackson/hinds-supervisor-asks-for-increase-in-reward-in-case-of-slain-toddler/26284046#ixzz33UZacSf3

Jackson 3-year-old caught, killed in crossfire

Therese Apel
10:34 p.m. CDT May 22, 2014



The house where 3-year-old Armon Burton died in the crossfire of a gunfight early Thursday morning was pierced with at least 27 bulletholes.

One of the bullets that crashed through the home went in the toddler's back and exited his head, killing him as he lay in bed with his father.

Armon was inside his home at 422 Queen Marie Lane just after midnight when someone used what appears to be an assault rifle to fire into the home, even knowing there might be small children in it, Jackson Police Department Assistant Chief Lee Vance said.

"Obviously a person that is morally deprived has no sense of value as far as human life is concerned," Vance said. "A completely cowardly, reckless act."

Neighbors say Armon was a happy child that could be seen playing outside with other neighborhood children on any regular day in the neighborhood.

"I saw him just earlier that day," said neighbor Nicole Jones. "Normally when kids get home from school, they all play out there."

Jones said she heard the shooting, and that it woke up her dogs. She said she asked police about the gunshots.

"I asked if everything was okay, and he said, 'No, a kid got shot,'" Jones said.

In the backyard of Armon's house, a bulldog slept soundly on Thursday, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Armon isn't coming back home when all the other kids come in at dinner time.

"This is the kind of place where the streetlights come on and all the children go home," Jones said.

Most people in the neighborhood were tight-lipped Thursday. Some said they just didn't want to "get involved." A group of young men gathered in the yard of Armon's home, looking at the bullet holes and talking in low voices, but they said they didn't know the family. One of them even commented, "If you're a reporter, I don't know nothing."

Vance said police are running into the same problem.

"Yeah, we run into quite a bit of that. People don't want to get involved, and that's their prerogative; some people feel like they'd put their own lives in danger if they do," Vance said. "Here's what I do know. Somebody out there knows who fired those shots into that house and killed that baby. Somebody knows. Somebody may have actually participated in it. Pick up the phone and call us."

Neighbors said around 8 p.m. one of the residents was standing in the yard at the home shooting a gun. It was not clear what the man was shooting at. They said a truck pulled up, there was an argument and gunfire was exchanged.

Vance said there were two shooting incidents that apparently occurred. The first came into dispatch from neighbors and was called in as "shots fired," but no one would give an address or speak with the police.

"It's not uncommon for us to receive a shots fired call, but that's far different than an actual shooting, and the location the officers were given to go to was not at the address where the shooting actually took place," Vance said. "If you want to be helpful and you were in the area when it happened, provide us with some information that helps us solve this case."

Minnie Dennis lives on Queen Marie Lane as well, and she said she slept through the shooting, which surprised her a little. She didn't know Armon's family either, but said she had seen him playing in the neighborhood.

"Something like this is not usual for around here," she said.

The child's grandfather, Shannon Harris, told reporters the family is heartbroken over the loss.

A Facebook page that appears to belong to the child's mother is full of photos of the toddler, and has an entry that says she got a pet on April 21.

Anyone who has information about Armon Burton's shooting is asked to call Jackson police at (601) 960-1234 or Crimestoppers at (601) 355-TIPS (8177).

Contact Therese Apel at tapel@gannett.com or (601) 961-7236. Follow @TRex21 on Twitter.

http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/local/2014/05/22/toddler-killed-in-jackson/9431293/