Atlanta police say they have identified a suspect in the shooting death of 7 year old Kennedy, who was struck by a bullet near a shopping center in Buckhead on December 21.
On Tuesday, the department announced it had secured a warrant for 24 year old Daquan of Virginia. Police say he is wanted on several charges, including felony murder. The charges are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless convicted in court. No public response from him had been reported.
According to police, Daquan was involved in an argument in the shopping center parking lot, then drove off and fired one shot. Police describe it as a “senseless act of rage.” The bullet went through the vehicle Kennedy was riding in and struck her. She died on the day after Christmas. Police said they were still working to learn why he was in Atlanta and whether he had local ties.
Police also pointed to his past. Officials said he had been in the area before. In October 2019, he and another man were arrested by U.S. Marshals in Atlanta in connection with a shooting at a mall in Norfolk, Virginia that injured two people. According to Norfolk court records, he pleaded guilty in January to accessory after the fact in that case and received a one year sentence with nine months suspended.
At a press conference at police headquarters, Interim Chief Rodney Bryant said the city would pursue anyone who commits violent crime in Atlanta. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms became emotional as she spoke about her conversation with Kennedy’s family and noted that Kennedy was not the first child lost to gun violence in the city this year.
The mayor outlined steps the city is taking, including enforcement against nightclubs that break capacity and hours rules, added Fulton County sheriff’s deputies during peak times, and work on a new public safety training academy. She also said morale at the police department has suffered and that the city will support officers with the resources they need.
Anyone with information about where Daquan may be is asked to contact Atlanta police.
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