Man accused of killing 6-month-old baby due in Fulton County court
22-year-old Dequasie Little (Houston County Sheriff's Office)
ATLANTA - A court hearing is scheduled Tuesday for a man accused of killing a 6-month-old baby in Northwest Atlanta.
Officials say Dequasie Little is set to have a bond hearing in Fulton County. This is the first time he'll be seen since the 22-year-old suspect waived his first appearance.
YOUNG ACCUSED KILLER OF 6-MONTH-OLD IN NW ATLANTA IN AND OUT OF JAIL FOR YEARS
Little is charged with murder and aggravated assault in connection to the shooting of 6-month-old Grayson Matthew Fleming-Gray.
The Shooting
The shooting was reported around 3 p.m. on Jan. 24 at a Food Mart on Anderson Avenue NW near the intersection with Tiger Flowers Drive. According to Atlanta police, there was an altercation between two adults that resulted in gunfire.
During the gunfight, a stray bullet hit 6-month-old Grayson Matthew Fleming-Gray as he rode with his family passing the Food Mart.
Grayson Matthew Fleming-Gray
Medics rushed the baby to Grady Memorial Hospital he was pronounced dead from his injuries.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant publicly vowed to find the person who pulled the trigger and ended the baby boy's life.
"These children are bearing the burden and the pain of adults who are choosing to use guns to settle disputes," Dickens said at the scene of the crime. "The children are bearing this burden with their lives."
Less than 24 hours later, officers arrested Little and said more arrests are possible.
FOX 5 I-Team digs deep into criminal history of Dequasie Little
Dequasie Little stands accused of firing the weapon during a gun battle that killed 6-month-old Grayson Fleming-Gray as the infant was sitting in his child seat in the back of his mother's car. Senior I-Team reporter Dale Russell investigates the criminal history of the young man who was in and out of jail for years -- up until the day of the murder.
Who is Dequasie Little?
What is known right now about the 22-year-old suspect accused by police of a shooting that claimed the life of a 6-month-old boy comes from public records.
An investigation by the FOX 5 I-Team found a young man "who was in and out of jail for years up until the day of the murder."
In July 2019, Dequasie Little pled guilty in Fulton County to the aggravated assault and strangulation of a girlfriend. Despite outstanding charges in multiple Georgia counties, a judge gave Little first offender status and sentenced him to five years probation with no jail time.
Little pleaded guilty to simple battery and cruelty to children in Houston County two months later. In that case, he was given 12 months probation. In June of 2020, he was arrested in Clayton County for allegedly giving a false identity during a traffic stop.
Mother of 6-month-old boy has message for killer
The mother of a 6-month-old boy that was struck and killed by a stray bullet in northwest Atlanta recalls the moments leading up to his death. She says her son's death was senseless.
Mother recalls shooting
The mother of the 6-month-old boy killed by a stray bullet on Monday said his death was senseless.
"He has a beautiful smile. He had a beautiful heart. He was very smart. He was very funny," said mother Kerri Gray. "And honestly, that’s about all I can tell you because that’s about as much as I got to learn from him before he was taken from me."
She said it all happened so fast when she was trying to pull into the parking lot of a nearby market.
"I know I heard a noise, I pulled off to the side, I saw two cars speed past me and when I pulled in, that’s when I had seen the gun barrel and next thing I know I get out to check on my son, and he was slumped forward," Gray said.
She said there was little indication something had happened until she saw her son.
"It hit the trunk, so there was no shattered glass, there was no crying, it was instant," she recalled. "So, we didn’t feel anything, hear anything."
She has a message for those involved or anyone who would involve themselves in similar gun violence.
"Make better life choices, please," she said. "Because the rest of us cannot live in a world where you get to be that selfish."
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