7-year-old boy shot and killed at gas station, Georgia cops say. Now dad is charged
A 7-year-old boy was killed in a gas station shooting, and his own father is charged with his murder, Georgia police say.
Officers were called around 6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 4, about a person shot at the Texaco on Rock Chapel Road in Lithonia, according to the DeKalb County Police Department. There they found the 7-year-old, who died at the scene.
Investigators believe the boy was in a car with another child when the shooting occurred.
The boy’s father, Dante Daugherty, 42, was arrested on a charge of second-degree murder and two counts of child cruelty, police said in a news release. Authorities clarified Daugherty wasn’t in the car when the gun was fired.
Police didn’t release additional information but said they’re investigating.
Gun violence in the U.S.
Thousands of people die from gun-related injuries in the U.S. each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Firearm injuries are a serious public health problem,” officials said. “In 2020, there were 45,222 firearm-related deaths in the United States – that’s about 124 people dying from a firearm-related injury each day.”
Public health experts say the impact of gun violence often goes beyond victims and their families.
“Shooting incidents, including those in homes, schools, houses of worship, workplaces, shopping areas, on the street or at community events can affect the sense of safety and security of entire communities and impact everyday decisions,” according to the CDC.
Lithonia is about 20 miles east of downtown Atlanta.
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