Mother: Son killed by 12-year-old after telling him to drop gun
Child charged in accidental killing
A 12-year-old boy has been charged after a fatal shooting Wednesday night in LaGrange that led to the death of a 22-year-old.
LAGRANGE, Ga. - A 22-year-old man described by his mother as an "angel on Earth" was killed after a 12-year-old allegedly fired a handgun while playing with it.
What we know:
Officers responded around 8:45 p.m. to North Cary Street following reports of a person shot. When they arrived, officers found Nyquarious Gates, 22, suffering from a gunshot wound.
Gates was transported to WellStar West Georgia Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries.
Investigators with the department’s Criminal Investigations Division determined that a 12-year-old male juvenile was mishandling a loaded firearm when it discharged, striking Gates.
The juvenile was taken into custody and charged with involuntary manslaughter and possession of a gun by someone under the age 18.
Neither the juvenile nor the victim, identified as 22-year-old Nyquarious Gates, lived at the complex.
What they're saying:
Gates' family tells FOX 5's Aungelique Proctor that the 12-year-old was part of a group at the apartment. The group was handling a gun when the family said Gates told the 12-year-old to put the gun down.
As the 12-year-old put the gun down, it accidentally went out, according to Gates' family.
"He was literally an angel"
Kwana Holloway, the victim's mother, said her son loved people but hated guns. She initially refused to believe reports that her son had shot himself.
"He was literally an angel on Earth. He was the sweetest person. Animals love him, babies love him. It was shocking when they called me and told me what happened. I am like what do you mean he got shot?" Holloway said.
"He was playing with the gun and shot himself and I said no, impossible," Holloway added. "He doesn't play with guns. He doesn't fool with guns... like no."
Holloway says the truth came out when the suspect's parents took him to the police station.
"He told them that he was playing with a gun and Nyquarious told him to put the gun down and the gun discharged and hit Nyquarious in the chest," she explained.
Capt. Jeremy Butler of the LaGrange Police Department said the shooting appeared to be a tragic accident.
"It is clear the intentions were never to harm Mr. Gates. It is just a child that handling a gun that he should never had," Butler said.
Gun linked to other crimes
Dig deeper:
During the investigation, detectives discovered that the firearm involved in the fatal shooting was already on their radar.
Capt. Jeremy Butler confirmed the 9mm is being linked to "more criminal activity," though he could not provide further details.
Police are prioritizing tracing the weapon to determine how it ended up in the hands of a child.
What we don't know:
Police say they do not yet know who owns the 9mm handgun used in the shooting.
While they are working to identify the owner, it remains unclear how the 6th grader gained access to the weapon.
Additionally, while police state the gun is linked to other criminal activity, the specific nature of those crimes has not been released.
What you can do:
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Detective B. Vinson at 706-883-2620.