Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

A 12-year-old sitting outside with friends at a picnic table was killed Saturday evening in a drive-by shooting, police in North Carolina said.

Police in Monroe, outside of Charlotte, were dispatched to a report of shots fired around 8 p.m. and found the child with a gunshot wound, the department said in a news release.

Police believe a black Ford Freestyle SUV drove by and someone inside began shooting in the direction of the victim before speeding away, according to the news release. Multiple shell casings were found and there appeared to be no other victims.

The child was treated at the scene, then transported to a hospital and pronounced dead.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to the family of the victim and we need the community to help identify and hold the shooter accountable for what they have done,” Monroe Police Chief Bryan Gilliard said in a statement. “Someone knows who did this. This was an innocent child and we need people to be brave and step up so we can catch those responsible for this senseless act of violence”

Officers were talking with area residents and collecting any video evidence available, the news release said.

The victim was not immediately identified.

UPDATE:

North Carolina man charged with murder in drive-by shooting of teen girl

READ ABOUT MORE NEWS HERE.

RECENT HEADLINES:

Former North Carolina resident sentenced to prison for bribery, visa fraud, tax charges

Two men dead after interstate shooting in North Carolina