Police identify Saturday shooting victim in Little Rock as 7-year-old Pine Bluff girl

Investigators with the Little Rock Police Department and Arkansas State Police look around the scene of a homicide Saturday afternoon, May 28, 2022, on Fair Park Boulevard near Interstate 630. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Staci Vandagriff)
Investigators with the Little Rock Police Department and Arkansas State Police look around the scene of a homicide Saturday afternoon, May 28, 2022, on Fair Park Boulevard near Interstate 630. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Staci Vandagriff)


Little Rock police released the identity of the 7-year-old child killed Saturday near War Memorial Stadium as Pine Bluff resident Chloe Alexander. The Police Department made the announcement via a Twitter post shortly after 7 p.m. Sunday.

Little more is known about the shooting Saturday in the 700 block of Fair Park Boulevard near the Little Rock Zoo that claimed the life of Chloe beyond information released earlier Sunday that the shooting was an "isolated incident involving two acquaintances engaged in an apparent dispute."

"What's happened is that, I know social media's done it but for us, we have to send it down to the coroner and let the coroner decide," said Mark Edwards, the Little Rock Police Department public information officer, earlier Sunday when contacted by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. "I don't know if they've released the name yet, even though I know the name is already out there, it's just that we have a process we have to go through."

Social media posts on Facebook on Sunday indicated that Chloe was on the way to the Little Rock Zoo with family members when the shooting occurred.

"I'm seeing the same thing," Edwards said, "but I don't know if they want to release her name."

Attempts to contact the family via Facebook were unsuccessful Sunday.

On Saturday it was reported that a person of interest had been interviewed by Little Rock detectives but beyond that, no suspect information was forthcoming. Edwards said he knew detectives had interviewed someone on Saturday but had no details beyond that.

"We know the two were engaged in some sort of dispute but the rest of that is part of the investigation," he said. "I know they were investigating leads but I don't know who they called in. I don't have any of that information."

Edwards said detectives investigating the incident routinely withhold key information related to investigations to avoid tipping off any potential suspects.

An email sent to the Democrat-Gazette newsroom just after 11 p.m. Saturday night by Jeff Munzinger of Springfield, Mo., described the scene at the zoo on Saturday when the shooting unfolded some 12 hours earlier.

"With our granddaughter in her stroller, we were enjoying a beautiful Saturday morning at the Little Rock Zoo when we heard rapid gunfire," he wrote in the email. "'Surely,'" we wanted to believe, 'this could not be gunfire at the zoo'." But yes, as we realized it was indeed just that, we joined several hundred folks in racing for the exit."

Munzinger described the moment he and his family heard shots fired.

"It sounded like the shooting was right next to us, on the other side of the zoo fence," Munzinger wrote. "There was no mistaking the sound of the rapid gunfire. By the time we reached the exit, the zoo had closed the entrance. Zoo staffers said they were investigating, but there was no formal announcement. For us, the only confirmation of trouble was a conversation with a female staffer on a golf cart, who said they did not know what was going on, but investigating."

On Saturday night just before 10 p.m., Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott posted a brief statement via Twitter.

"Today's homicide of a child victim on Fair Park Blvd. is a tragic reminder of the horrors of gun violence," Scott said in the tweet. "I mourn the senseless loss of an innocent life. Detectives are working all viable leads to apprehend the person responsible and file formal charges."

At a campaign event Sunday afternoon in an inside room at War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock mayoral candidate Steve Landers, 68, said homicides in the city "don't seem to be slowing down," in response to a comment by one attendee who said that one "can't be safe" in the area.

"A seven-year-old child was killed right here yesterday," Landers said. "And that's the biggest problem we have in our city right now, is 35 homicides."

The Little Rock Police Department is asking anyone who may have information regarding this incident to call the anonymous tip line at (501) 371-4636.


Upcoming Events