DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Authorities say that a shooting in Delray Beach left a South Florida kid paralyzed from the chest down. His life may never be the same again.
Tedrick Moss’s mother says that he is still being kept alive at Delray Medical Center and can’t breathe on his own.
“What he’s going through right now is not fair. “I just hate this,” said Deerfield Beach mother Ivory Smith.
Tedrick is said to be a great kid who loves people and a great athlete who may never play football again.
Smith said, “He has other siblings for whom he would do anything.”
Tedrick, who also lives in Deerfield Beach, went to see his father at his home in the Village at Delray Apartments, south of Atlantic Avenue, on April 17 in the afternoon.
Smith says that her son was walking through the parking lot when he was shot three times in the neck, back, and shoulder.
“He is paralyzed from the chest down,” Smith said. “The doctor did say it was permanent, but I have faith that it’s not.”
The police are busy looking for clues, but they haven’t said if they know who did it or why.
“He doesn’t come from there. He doesn’t spend time there. Smith said, “Just wrong place, wrong time.”
Tedrick’s family wants to know quickly who shot him.
“So at least my son can have some peace of mind. His mom said, “He already has to deal with this for the rest of his life.”
The next day, cops say, a 77-year-old grandmother was shot on her porch at another apartment complex, which was less than a mile away.
Investigators are asking for help from the public to find out if the two killings are related.
Tony Durante, a pastor in South Florida and a former police officer in Delray Beach, thinks that people shouldn’t keep information from police that could help them make an arrest out of fear. He also says that a strong relationship of mutual trust between police and locals is good for public safety.
“As people who follow the rules, we want to get together and help each other. Pastor Tony Durante said, “If there’s a way to help the police, let’s all do it and share what we know so we can keep our communities safe.”
People in the area worked together to help pay Tedrick’s hospital bills.
The money will also go to an Atlanta, GA center that helps people with disabilities.
