Father pleads guilty in DeKalb accidental shooting that killed son

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Mug shot from when Daugherty was arrested in 2023. (DeKalb County Sheriff's Office)

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A DeKalb County man has pleaded guilty in the 2023 death of his 7-year-old son, who was killed by a gun left unsecured inside a car.

What we know:

Dante Lamar Daugherty, 44, entered the plea Thursday to one count of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree cruelty to children. The plea follows the death of his son, Z’ayre Daugherty, on Sept. 4, 2023.

Police said Z’ayre was shot in the head while sitting in the back seat of an SUV outside a gas station in Lithonia.

The backstory:

Investigators said Daugherty pulled up to a pump at a station on Rock Chapel Road just before 6:10 p.m. that day. He briefly went inside, leaving his two sons in the vehicle. Before exiting, he removed a handgun from his waistband, wrapped it in a cloth and placed it under the driver’s seat.

Surveillance footage showed both boys climbing into the back seat after Daugherty walked away, police said. Moments later, there was movement in the back seat, followed by a flash that appeared to be a gunshot.

Daugherty told police he returned to the vehicle and found Z’ayre had been shot. He said he wasn’t sure if the boy had accidentally shot himself or if his 5-year-old brother had pulled the trigger. The younger child was unable to explain what happened.

When officers arrived, they found Daugherty in the back seat holding his son. The child was pronounced dead at the scene. A gun and a spent shell casing were recovered from the car.

What's next:

Daugherty was sentenced to 10 years, with two years to be served in custody and the remaining eight on probation.