16-year old Homestead boy shot and killed by police

Danny Cruz, age 16

According to a witness, 16-year old Danny Cruz, of Homestead, Florida, was trying to purchase Tylenol or Motrin at a convenience store.

“Some guy’s coming inside and asking for some medicine, and she’s telling (him) she (doesn’t) have the Tylenol. (He was) asking for Tylenol,” said Desiree Bara, a co-worker of the clerk. “And the guy’s asking for Motrin. He’s giving $1, and he asked for the dollar back.”

There was some sort of disagreement which led the clerk to press the panic button.

When officers arrived, they said they told Cruz to show his hands, which were in his pockets. When he didn’t comply, shots were fired, police said.

"Why shoot four rounds or five to an innocent child, a 16-year-old? Taser him. Don't shoot to kill. That's not right. It's not fair," said the teen's mother.

Cruz was a gifted student at Mavericks High, a charter school. Relatives said they want answers about his death.

Video footage is currently being reviewed to determine if the boy had a gun, such as the one he apparently posed with on a Facebook page.

When asked whether there was a reason she could think of why her son would be carrying a gun, Cruz's mother said no. But that begs the question, why would he be posing with a friend holding a gun for his Facebook profile picture?

"Just posing, just to look cool," Cruz's mother said. "Even if it was possible that he did have the gun, he wasn’t there doing an armed robbery. He wasn’t there doing nothing. He was just purchasing something."

.