Two Wounded at Funeral for 6-Week-Old Baby

A funeral in Cypress for a 6-week-old infant ended Tuesday with two mourners being shot by a man who authorities believe was the baby girl’s father.

A police spokesman said the motive for the attack was not clear.

“After the service there was an argument and some type of a scuffle,” said Lt. Mike Idom, a spokesman for the Cypress Police Department.

The victims, identified by police as the child’s 23-year-old aunt and 30-year-old uncle, were taken to Long Beach Community Hospital, where she was treated for a wound in the left elbow and he for one in the foot. Their injuries were not considered life threatening, authorities said.

The shooting started at 3:30 p.m., immediately after the service at Forest Lawn Cemetery on Lincoln Avenue. Investigators said the child died on Christmas Day, apparently of sudden infant death syndrome.

The gunman fled on foot with three men, one of whom police said might have driven to the service with him. Idom said one of the three returned to the cemetery and was cooperating with police in the search for the gunman. Idom identified the shooting suspect as Siraj Leyerle, 21, of Long Beach.

“All four suspects were attending the funeral, and we believe that everybody knew each other,” Idom said. “They were all family members.”

He said the emotions “of being distraught over the death of a 6-week-old baby escalated into a scuffle, which escalated into a gun being fired. The fortunate thing is that nobody was seriously hurt.”

Late Tuesday, police investigators collected shell casings and searched the cemetery for other evidence at the scene. Two cars apparently abandoned by the gunman and the other three men were towed away.