FAIRFIELD, Conn. — A Waterbury 15-year-old was shot an killed at a Fairfield birthday party Saturday night and the teen's mother wants to know why the adults supervising the party at a church hall didn't have security in place to prevent this tragedy.
The Calvin United Church of Christ, is rented out to for parties, it is even hosted by those who are not members of the church, which was the case Saturday night.
The police tape still left behind an awful reminder to the mother of a Waterbury boy who was shot to death inside this church hall Saturday night.
"They were screaming he's not breathing, he's not breathing, he's not breathing," said Carlashia Brooks, the mother of the victim, Zion Burton.
Police estimated up to 200 people were crammed into this hall for what they were told was a 13-year-old's birthday party but it was actually a party for a 16-year-old girl, according to Burton's mother.
"So there was one shot to the chest and the bullet went through the victim and into the jaw of another person," said
Lt. Michael Paris of the Fairfield Police Department.
Burton was pronounced dead at St. Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport. The other victim, a teenage female, has been released from the hospital but will require surgery.
"Out of all the kids, who doesn't do crap to nobody, I don't know if he had a beef with anybody I just wanna know why this kid did this to my child," said Brooks.
Police say they have good leads but Zion's mom is baffled how a 16-year-old's party, being supervised by adults, could have had alcohol permitted.
"There were kids there outside smoking, drinking, fighting and they're hanging out the windows," according to Burton's mother.
The rising high school sophomore, at Waterbury's Wilby High School. He died six days short of his 16th birthday, but he had already owned his own business for a year.
"He had a bouncy house business to help kids," his mother said, "Bouncy house activities and everything. This year he wanted to add new stuff to his services and we were doing just that."
He was saving money so he could get his driver's permit.
"So far we've had great cooperation from the church and the people who rent the hall," said Lt. Paris.
FOX61 reached out to the church but was unable to make contact.
---
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
----
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.