Birmingham, AL — Ta’Narius “TJ” Moore Jr., a 5-year old boy from Alabama, was killed after two family members fired shots at each other and accidentally struck the little child instead. He passed away just hours after he had been named an all-star player in his local youth football league.
TJ, a kindergartner who was well-loved by his friends and relatives, was struck by a bullet in the head. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Birmingham police Deputy Chief Scott Praytor said that several people have been detained and an investigation is ongoing. Authorities are also looking if the boy’s mother was involved.
Two years ago, TJ’s father, Ta’Narius Moore Sr., was also shot to death following a long-standing feud with another man. TJ’s paternal grandmother, Sherie Moore, expressed her grief over the incident.
“I lost my son, and now I lost his junior,” she told AL.com. “It’s a hard pill to swallow. It’s just hard. It’s unexplainable.”
One of TJ’s coaches, Tabios Darden, posted a tribute to TJ on Facebook. He wrote, “Words can’t describe the pain of losing one of your players. It hurts even more knowing that a kid with such a bright future is gone because of a senseless act of violence.”
TJ’s stepfather, Carlos Walker, also posted about his stepson’s death. He said, “I’m sorry TJ. (You) will forever live through me.”
