3-year-old dies after shooting in home on Hawthorne Way in East Point

Neighbor recounts moments after 3-year-old gets shot in East Point

Officers were dispatched to a home in the 1300 block of Hawthorne Way near Newnan Street just after noon on July 2 in response to a report of a shooting. When they arrived, they found the child unconscious with a single gunshot wound. A firearm was located near the victim and secured by officers at the scene.

EAST POINT, Ga. - A 3-year-old boy is dead after a shooting on Hawthorne Way, according to East Point police.

What we know:

Officers were dispatched to a home in the 1300 block of Hawthorne Way near Newnan Street just after noon on July 2 in response to a report of a shooting. When they arrived, they found the child unconscious with a single gunshot wound. A firearm was located near the victim and secured by officers at the scene.

Several family members were inside the home at the time of the incident, police said.

He was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital. He later died at the hospital. 

What we don't know:

East Point Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division is leading the investigation. Authorities have not said who owns the firearm or how the shooting occurred.

What they're saying:

Neighbors said they know the homeowner, who rents the house out on Airnbnb. FOX 5 confirmed the home is listed on the rental site. 

Marquita Hillman said she went outside of her home to see a large police presence. "I came outside when I heard, like, a couple of sirens out here, and then the next thing you know, it was so many police cars out here," she said.

She saw who she believed to be the boy's mom. "She was very hysterical. Crying is real frantic. They ended up taking her, and I guess a couple of other adults that went home," said Hillman. "I did see another small child that was there, too."

"It was very emotional. A lot of crying and hugging. You know, just very sad," she said. "They have to be more careful with, firearms around these babies."

What's next:

The case remains under active investigation.