PROVIDENCE – Authorities arrested a 16-year-old boy in connection with a Dec. 31 drive-by shooting in Cranston, R.I., officials said.
Police responded around 9:22 p.m. on New Year’s Eve to a 911 call reporting shots fired into a residence at 143 Pleasant St., according to authorities. There, officers found multiple shell casings in the roadway and “two fired rounds lodged in the exterior of the duplex-style home,” police said.
A mother reported to police that she was inside the home with her two young children, an infant and a toddler, when the gunfire struck the residence, Cranston police said in a statement.
“A bullet penetrated the exterior wall and entered the room where her toddler was lying down. The child reported feeling paint and plaster debris fall onto her as the round narrowly missed her by only inches. Remarkably, no physical injuries were reported," police said.
Detectives determined the intended target of the shooting was in the adjacent residence at 145 Pleasant St., which shares the duplex with 143 Pleasant St., police said.
Following an investigation with Providence police, authorities identified the Providence teen and recovered a 9-millimeter firearm that forensic analysis confirmed was used in the shooting.
The teen, who was not publicly identified by police according to state law for juvenile suspects, was charged with drive-by shooting; possession of a firearm by a minor; and firing in a compact area, police said.
He was taken into custody without incident and is being held at the Rhode Island Training School, police said.
“This was an extremely dangerous and reckless act that could have easily resulted in the death of an innocent child or family member,” Cranston police Major Todd Patalano said in a statement. “The fact that a toddler was lying down when a bullet passed within inches of her is absolutely chilling. This individual showed a complete disregard for human life, and I am grateful that no one was physically injured.”
Christopher Gavin can be reached at christopher.gavin@globe.com.