Father arrested after 4-year-old girl killed in East Point

EAST POINT, Ga. - A 4-year-old girl never got to ring in the New Year after a deadly shooting inside an East Point home on Sunday.

Officers arrived at the home located inside Martel Homes after a report of the shooting. According to East Point police, the child was rushed by medics to an area hospital and later died.

"These are definitely the cases we do not want to have to go to," said East Point Police Sgt. James Watkins.

East Point detectives determined the deadly shot came from inside the home.

One person has been arrested. He has been identified as 28-year-old Damarkis Marqus Perdue and he has been charged with murder in the 2nd degree, cruelty to children in the 2nd degree, and tampering with evidence. Police have confirmed that he was the child's father.

Damarkis Perdue

"There was a weapon inside the house that was left unsecured. We’re unsure of who got access to it," said Sgt. Watkins.

Watkins says the young female’s death marked the second instance of a child being killed by an unattended firearm in 2023. The child was identified on Tuesday as Kamaiyah Perdue.

Kamaiyah Perdue

A resident who did not want to be named in this article says she and her family were not far from home when they noticed a heavy police presence in the area.

"We was on Washington Road, and I seen a lot of cops coming, and I said something is going on," the resident told FOX 5's Joi Dukes.

That resident, a mother of three, says she was saddened to learn what happened and, like police, had this message for other parents.

"Put your firearms up…just put it up, lock it up. Just keep it away from the kids," they said.

The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office has not yet released the name of the boy.

In a statement, the police department wrote:

"The East Point Police department continues to stress the importance of securing weapons within your residence."

Perdue waived his right to appear in court on Tuesday morning. He is currently being held without bond.

East Point detectives continue to investigate.

Family members told FOX 5’s Aungelique Proctor they were devastated by Kamaiyah's unexpected death. They held a private candlelight vigil for her on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The original version of this story stated that a young boy was killed. The Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office says a female child was killed and the East Point Police Department has confirmed.