There are no words to adequately describe the anger and loss that Brookhaven is feeling after a 7-year-old was fatally shot in a drive-by shooting.

Quantavious Allen died late Wednesday night after being shot while inside his house with his father and sister. According to police, someone fired multiple shots from an assault rifle into the house at 2457 Grant Road.

Police received a call of shots fired around 6 p.m., but when they arrived at the scene they discovered the victim had been taken by personal vehicle to King’s Daughters Medical Center. He was later airlifted to University of Mississippi Medical Center

“It was an apparent drive-by where an assault-style weapon was used. They fired multiple shots into the house,” Police Chief Kenneth Collins said Wednesday night. “We’re working out here trying to find out what happened to this kid, and there is very little cooperation. The information I am getting, I’m really having to work for it because we have a lot of uncooperative people up here.”

Collins expressed a thought we all share: “A 7-year-old child is innocent. Whatever the problems that the adults had it should not have spilled over dealing with the home and the kids.”

Allen would have been a second-grader in August. The school district expressed its sympathies to the family in a statement.

As of Thursday afternoon, police had not caught the alleged shooter or shooters. A lack of cooperation from people who may have information is not helping matters.

We encourage — beg — anyone with information about this case to talk to police. An innocent child is dead, and the person(s) responsible must be brought to justice. If you know something, call the Brookhaven Police Department at 601-833-2424 or CrimeStoppers at 601-823-0150. Tips leading to an arrest may be eligible for a cash reward up to $1,000.