A man has been arrested in connection with the death of 7-year-old Kennedy Maxie. The suspect faces murder and gun charges.
On Dec. 21, Kennedy was riding in the backseat of her aunt’s car when she was shot in the back of her head. At the time, her aunt was driving past Phipps Plaza on Peachtree Road in Atlanta, Georgia after going Christmas shopping with her family. The aunt suddenly heard gunshots but kept on driving. Not long after that, the woman Kennedy’s aunt noticed the girl was acting strange and that’s when realized the girl had been shot. She immediately went to the hospital.
Kennedy was in critical condition for days before passing away from her injuries on Dec. 26., NBC reports.
On Wednesday, Atlanta investigators worked with U.S. Marshalls to arrest 24-year-old Daquan Reed who was located in Hampton Roads. According to Atlanta Police Department officer Steve Avery, Reed is awaiting extradition to Georgia. “We are very appreciative of work our investigators and the US Marshals put into locating and apprehending Mr. Reed,” Avery wrote in a statement.
Officers issued a warrant for Reed’s arrest on Dec. 29; Reed is facing murder and gun charges, the outlet reports.
Kennedy’s murder is just one of the many acts of violence that have been committed in the city, which has seen a rise in homicides in the last year. “As of the end of the week 52 reporting period we are at 154 homicides compared with 99 for the same period of 2019,” Avery said in a statement. “That is an increase of 61 percent.”
Rest in peace, baby girl.
