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1-Year-Old Boy Hospitalized After Richmond Shooting, $25K Reward Offered

RICHMOND (CBS SF) - Police are still attempting to locate a gunman who fired multiple shots in Richmond's Iron Triangle neighborhood Thursday afternoon, sending a 1-year-old boy and a man to the hospital with injuries, police said.

Around 1:15 p.m., the baby was in his grandmother's arms inside a home at St. John's Apartments at 121 W. MacDonald Ave. when he was injured by gunfire.

A man in his 20s riding his bicycle in front of the apartment building was also shot, police Lt. Bisa French said.

Both were in stable condition late Thursday afternoon, police said.

Officers responded to St. John's Apartments a short time after the shooting and found the child suffering from a serious neck wound. The infant was taken to Children's Hospital Oakland in serious but stable condition, Detective Nicole Abetkov said. It is unclear whether the wounds were inflicted by a bullet or by debris from the gunfire.

The bicyclist turned up at a local hospital a short time after the shooting suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg, police said.

No other injuries were reported.

French said at least one male suspect armed with a gun fled from the scene on foot.

Richmond Police Hope Community Helps to Solve Brazen Daytime Shooting

Officers fanned out to search for suspects with the help of police K-9s and helicopters.

Abetkov said officers located multiple bullet shell casings in a parking lot on MacDonald Avenue across the street from the apartment building. Police believe the shooter fired his gun from across the street and may have been aiming for the bicyclist, she said.

Police have not established a motive for the shooting.

Marilyn, a woman who lives less than a block from the scene of the shooting and declined to give her last name, said she got home around 3 p.m. to find MacDonald Avenue at First Street blocked off by police cars and caution tape.

She said that while the neighborhood has struggled with crime, she is not especially concerned for her safety.

"That's part of living in a high-crime area, you get used to it," she said.

But Richmond police Chief Chris Magnus insisted that Thursday's shooting and others like it will not be tolerated.

"I am angry, appalled, and deeply concerned about this senseless act of street violence," he said in a statement. "We are grateful that the child's condition appears to be stable and improving, but we are putting every possible resource into apprehending the perpetrator(s) who acted with cowardice and without a conscience."

Speaking to reporters near the crime scene Thursday afternoon, Magnus said the Police Department has "devoted an incredible amount of resources to addressing this kind of gun violence...and when an incident like this happens, it's beyond sickening."

The chief is more than doubling the department's usual reward for information leading to the arrest and capture of suspects to $25,000.

Anyone with information is urged to call Richmond police at (510) 232-TIPS. Callers may remain anonymous.

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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