Four-year-old drive-by shooting victim taken off life support while detectives struggle for leads

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Police said Aydan Perea was the victim of a drive-by shooting. He was just 4 years old.

Aydan held on for several days. However, his parents chose to take the child off life support and donate his organs. Aydan was shot in the head.

His death is part of a wave of unthinkable violence that has struck the United States in recent days.

President Barack Obama addressed the issue on Wednesday.

“A 4-year-old was caught in a drive-by in Missouri and taken off of life support just yesterday," he said. "Each one of these victims are victims of American gun violence that takes the lives of 10,000 Americans every year.”

This year's log of homicides in Kansas City shows more than 80 percent of the victims died from a gunshot wound, just like Aydan.

However, as of Wednesday, this 4-year-old’s case had not received any tips from the public.

Det. Kevin Boehm said the silence is surprising because Crime Stoppers offers a completely anonymous avenue to help police find justice for victims and their families.

One reason for the lack of tips could be a possible gang tie to this crime. Police told 41 Action News they are investigating that possibility.

"If someone is a member of a gang, obviously it's a very tight network of individuals and they're probably not the ones to come forward. But, witnesses in the area would be the people that we're targeting," Boehm added.

Aydan was shot near 24th and Denver in Kansas City’s east side on Saturday.

If you know anything about what led up to that shooting or where the suspect is today, call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS. All calls and communication are completely anonymous.