COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Police have confirmed that a 9-month-old has died after a shooting at a Cobb County motel on Tuesday night.
Officers were called to the Budgetel Inn & Suites- Atlanta Galleria Stadium on Circle 75 Parkway at 8:30 p.m., where a mother said her daughter had been shot.
Channel 2 Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell was live at the motel during Channel 2 Action News at Noon, where police were still investigating bullet holes in windows.
The baby, whose name has not been released, was pronounced dead at the motel.
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“The baby we played with all day, who was bringing us so much joy, is dead now, and I don’t appreciate it,” said Sasha Murphy, who knew the victim.
The tragic incident unfolded when an argument led to gunfire at the motel, leaving residents shocked and saddened.
Nail Mathis, a nearby resident, expressed his disbelief at the situation, saying, “When you hear it, you want to be like involved like ya’ll ya’ll what is ya’ll doing?”
Ladarrius Brown was arrested shortly after the shooting and charged with aggravated assault, felony murder, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.
He is currently held without bond, as a judge deemed him a danger to the community. Brown was on probation for a simple battery conviction in 2024 at the time of the shooting.
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Wednesday afternoon, authorities said that a second suspect is in custody for the shooting.
The suspect, whose identity has not been disclosed, is charged with tampering with evidence.
Those who knew the baby, including Dess Huntington, were devastated by the loss.
“For someone to come over and do this is horrible. She was like a sister to me,” Huntington said.
The shooting is still under investigation.
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