TAMPA, Fla — The search continues for whoever shot and killed a 4-year-old girl on Hillsborough Avenue Sunday. Her family has sent out an emotional plea asking whoever pulled the trigger to turn themselves in.
The story can’t be shared enough. It’s why officers went from door-to-door in the neighborhood just north of Hillsborough Avenue near 43rd Street.
"Hey, so I don’t know if you heard or not, a four-year-old got shot,” a TPD officer told a neighbor as they knocked on doors. “She got killed.”
They handed out fliers with Suni Bell’s picture on it plus information about what happened Sunday.
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“Just keep the flier, again, there’s a phone number on the bottom to contact the police department if you happen to talk to your neighbor or anyone hears anything or has any possible leads,” another TPD officer said to a neighbor.
On Sunday, while riding in the car with her mother, someone in another car shot into their back window. Suni was hit by a bullet and killed.
“When the babies start dying it is time for us to make a change. We can’t keep living like this,” said Karen Peoples, a neighbor and resident Counsel President of Silver Oaks Apartments.
Peoples still mourns the death of her son who she says was shot and killed. What happened to Suni hits home for her.
“I can’t sleep at night, I really don’t, I’m very restless because I’m wondering how this mother is sleeping. I’m wondering how the whole family is sleeping,” she said. “I can’t sleep because of my own son's death.”
Steve Smith took two fliers, one for himself and one for his wife.
“I hope they catch him because it’s a shame that a little four-year-old, which I’ve got grandkids and I don’t want nothing to happen to them,” Smith said.
The Tampa Police Department hopes someone has information that could help in its investigation.
“It’s not that we aren’t getting lead or tips, we just haven’t gotten the right lead or tip,” said Major Mike Stout.
They feel confident there’s information in these streets. Suni’s mom and two grandmothers think so too, but they hope whoever actually pulled the trigger will step up.
“Just turn yourself in, just turn yourself in,” said Brenia and Mary Harrison, Suni’s grandmother and mother. “Because you can’t hide, you can’t run, just turn yourself in that’s all. We just want justice for my grandbaby she hadn’t even seen her life yet, it was just starting and she just started school.”
TPD says you can report information anonymously. Call crime stoppers at 1-800-873-8477.
Community leaders plan to hold a march in Suni’s honor this Sunday where they will circle around the neighborhood again. They hope to get more information about her death.
