KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — A 9-year-old boy was shot and killed Thursday afternoon in Kalamazoo.

The shooting happened around 1:30 p.m. near the intersection of Lake Street and James Street.

The child was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died. 

“Too many kids are out here dying,” said a neighbor. “Too many kids out here shooting each other.”

Details regarding the shooting are limited as the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety is still investigating the incident. 

KDPS officers and a department crime lab truck were at a home on the corner of Lake and James investigating the incident until around 4:45 p.m. 

As police searched the home, neighbors were left to mourn the death of the boy. 

“It’s terrible,” said a man who lives near the home. “I have a 7-year-old and it hits close to home hearing that, especially four houses down, it’s a travesty.”

News 8 cameras saw investigators taking items out of the home. Neighbors our crew spoke to didn’t go on-camera, however they say the home is known to be a place where children can be seen unsupervised, even late at night. 

“Don’t let your kid just go out here and tell you, mom and then say I’ll be back, I’ll do this. No, we discipline our babies and that’s how we grow, for our community,” said a neighbor.

The neighbor who lives four houses from the home says he hasn’t felt safe in the area as of late. 

“I used to ride bikes with my kid, my 7-year-old, last summer, all the time,” he said. “This summer, we haven’t gone out just because of gun violence and violence in general.”

He says he’d like to see a greater police presence in the area so that incidents like this don’t happen again.