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Friday Night Killer Caught His Vitim Unaware, In Front Of Child
posted (May 26, 2015)
Over the weekend there were 3 shootings and a stabbing in the City which left 4 people hospitalized, and one man dead. The first fatal shooting, happened right when Friday's news was starting. 33 year-old Lyjon Franklyn was killed, and 20 year-old Aaron Flowers was injured.

7News has been following the story since Friday night, and Daniel Ortiz tells us how the men were caught off guard:

Daniel Ortiz reporting
On Friday night, Iguana Street Extension - right in front of Kim's Shop 2 - was cluttered with crime scene markers, the aftermath of a shooting which claimed the life of 33 year-old Lyjon Franklyn, and left 20 year-old Aaron Flowers hospitalized.

Lancelot Flowers - Friend of Deceased
"I was at my home on Jump Street watching a NBA game and I got a text from my father saying that they ran in our yard, shot Lyjon and he was on the ground. That is how I got the news. I just jump up and came back here to check, because he is my brother. And a lot of people brother as well."

Franklyn was socializing with a group of his relatives and friends, which included Aaron Flowers, and Franklyn's 5 year-old daughter. None of the persons present suspected any danger, and that's when a young man walked in front of the yard. He pulled out a weapon and fired several shots at the group, and both Franklyn and Flowers were hit multiple times.

They were both rushed to the KHMH, but Franklyn succumbed to his injuries within minutes. His close friend told us that he wasn't the intended target.

Lancelot Flowers - Friend of Deceased
"We want justice for our brother, because they killed him mercilessly in front of his daughter, in front of everyone. We love him and many people feel his death. One of my neighbor got shot too. I don't really know the full story, because I haven't seen him yet to get to the bottom of the story. I can't figure out who would want to kill him (Lyjon). But he is not far, because the person did it in front of lots of people, ran up the street, drop his gun - all kind of things. He was unknown when it happened."

Franklyn has had a criminal past, which his friend freely acknowledged to us, but he also told us that he was an intelligent youth who he got caught up in the street life.

Lancelot Flowers - Friend of Deceased
"My friend, from he was little, he was smart. But like many others, he just went down the wrong road - the street life. He had gotten shot about two times already. His name was Lyjon Frankly "old school nigga" from the Jumps - rest in peace - Rogue Rosado - all old school friends."

As you heard in the story, Franklyn leaves behind a 5 year-old daughter who witnessed her father being murdered on Friday night.

So, what do police believe happened on Friday which lead to the shooting? Well, the police press officer briefed the media this morning and told us that so far, this shooting appears to be the result of an internal rift between members of the same gang:

Raphael Martinez, Police Press Officer
"Initial investigations revealed that both Flowers and Franklyn were socializing in a yard on Iguana Street Extension when they were approached by a male person who fired several shots at them causing their injuries. They were both transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where Franklyn, sadly, succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment. Police are following several leads. What I can tell you at this time is that it seems to be people within their own groups, having this serious mistrust against each other or having these what you called "Beef" or unsettled matters, but to bring it down, is a great mistrust among themselves and they decide to do their own cleansing as such."

Our records show that in March of 2012, Lyjon Franklin was charged with keeping an unlicensed firearm, keeping unlicensed ammunition, and aggravated burglary. Police allegedly caught him and another man during a home invasion. They were wearing camouflage clothing which resembles that used by police officers. The real cops allegedly caught them on the scene in the act of holding the family up at gun point.

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