Boy, 7, is shot in the head and killed after two groups started gunfights over jet skis

A seven-year-old boy shot to death during a deadly dispute over jet skis in Florida has been identified, as police say his grandfather was trying to shield him from gunfire when the shots rang out.

Yitzian Torres Garcia was in Tampa watching the Fourth of July fireworks with his grandfather when a group became annoyed with another group for riding too close to shore on jet skis, resulting in a shootout.

The grandfather pulled his grandson into his truck for shelter, but a bullet entered the vehicle and hit the man’s finger before hitting the boy’s head.

Yitzian was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead, and his grandfather lost a finger. Police were unable to confirm any arrests or name suspects as of Thursday evening.

Yitzian’s grandfather, Juan Carlos Mejia, lost a finger to the same bullet that killed his grandson

Juan Carlos Mejia (left), said he took his grandson to an area about two miles west of Ben T. Davis Beach to celebrate the Fourth of July. The boy’s grandmother is depicted on the right

Yitzian’s grandfather, Juan Carlos Mejia, said he took his grandson to an area about two miles west of Ben T. Davis Beach to celebrate July 4 by watching fireworks.

Shortly after the couple arrived, people nearby started firing. “One guy just started firing into the air,” he said told Fox13.

He said this in a separate interview WFLA he shielded the boy and placed his hand above his head as they took cover in the truck.

“When I felt the shot in my hand, I turned to look at my grandson, and his head turned,” Mejia said.

The seven-year-old was in Florida visiting his New Jersey grandparents and would have turned eight in August.

“This shouldn’t happen to babies,” said Yitzian’s grandmother, Marisol Ayala.

“Please help us find these people because my baby is not coming back to us. We need justice for him. These people have to pay,” she told Fox13.

Tampa police said they were called to a boat ramp at the Courtney Campbell Causeway just after 8:30 p.m. when gunfire erupted during an argument between two groups of men.

“When they were in the vehicle, a bullet went through the vehicle, hit the grandfather in the finger and the young man in the head,” Tampa deputy chief Calvin Johnson said at a news conference.

Yitzian (pictured) was in Florida visiting his New Jersey grandparents and would have turned 8 in August

Tampa police said they were called to a boat ramp near the Courtney Campbell Causeway just after 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 4

“We want to bring to justice these people who committed this shooting. We want to hold them accountable for their actions,” Johnson said.

“If they’re here and they hear me today, turn yourself in. Your actions and your anger resulted in a 7-year-old just starting his life being killed because you were angry about a jet ski.”

The young boy’s family started a GoFundMe to raise money for his funeral.

‘A cheerful, intelligent and lively boy. His presence was felt whenever he arrived and earned a place in every heart with his smile,” the page read.

About $20,000 had been raised by Thursday night.

“There was no reason, no excuse, that an argument could lead to gunfire, let alone an argument over jet skis,” Johnson said.

“Now we have citizens, we have families, we have people in our communities dealing with this tragic incident that happened on the 4th of July.”