Mother told 9-year-old to lie to police about fatally shooting friend, police say
A Portland family is grieving the loss of 11-year-old Ryan Ambrose who was killed in a crash
By Jennifer Lifsey and Amanda Rose
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EAST POINT, Georgia (WANF) — The East Point Police Department has made an arrest in connection with the fatal shooting of a 9-year-old in East Point.
On June 3, King Javier Black was playing with a 9-year-old and 6-year-old who lived in a home with access to two loaded firearms, police said. East Point Police Chief Shawn Buchanan told Atlanta News First the 9-year-old was inside the house, allegedly cleaning the gun, when it went off, firing a bullet through the door. That bullet hit Black in his back. He died from his injuries.
Investigators claim the 9-year-old knew where the firearms were in the home and believe he was playing with the weapon as if it were a toy.
Chief Buchanan described the incident as “a lot of negligence in the home.”
The mother of the child who shot and killed Black, identified as Shaharra White, was arrested on June 15 and charged with “influencing a witness” in connection to the incident.
According to police, White allegedly knew about the shooting and tried to conceal information up that would lead investigators to uncover what had happened.
Chief Buchanan says additional charges are pending. Those charges could include reckless conduct, cruelty to children, and other felony charges.
In addition, investigators say another person was watching the 9-year-old and had left the house shortly before the incident. Chief Buchanan says charges are still possible for that individual.
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