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3 suspects in death of 11-year-old Paulding County boy identified, 2 arrested

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Updated  May 16, 2024 9:08am EDT
Paulding County
FOX 5 Atlanta

1 arrested. 2 on run in murder of 11-year-old boy

A teen wanted in the shooting death of an 11-year-old boy is in custody as the search continues for two other suspects. Eleven-year-old Zander Whatley was killed when gunmen shot up his Paulding County residence late last month.

DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. - Three young men have been identified as the suspects in the shooting death of 11-year-old Zander Whatley of Douglasville.

Whatley was killed on April 29 while inside his home on Ruth Way.

Whatley's mother, Shareeda Alexander Dorsey, told FOX 5 Atlanta that she, her husband and 9 of their 13 children heard banging on their back door before someone opened fire.

The 11-year-old, who was a 5th grade student at Hutchens Elementary School, was struck by a bullet as he was trying to run upstairs, his mother said.

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Sesay, Osman

The family said at the time of the shooting that they believed that the shooter or shooters may have some connection to one of Zander's older siblings.

"He's friends with two of the guys. The guy who came and shot the house. He was mad because our son is friends with the other guy, he was mad at," said William Dorsey, Zander's stepfather.

Zander Whatley (Photo submitted by family)

RELATED: Funeral plans, balloon release set for 11-year-old killed in Paulding County shooting

The Paulding County Sheriff's Office says they identified 18-year-old Osman Sesay, Jr., 19-year-old Al-Hamid Ibrahim Kuyateh, and 19-year-old Nazier Lloyd Anderson as the suspects.

Sesay was located and arrested during a traffic stop on May 11 in Charlotte, North Carolina. He will be extradited back to Georgia. 

Arrest made in death of Douglasville boy

One arrest has been made in the death of an 11-year-old Douglasville boy. Police are still looking for two young men.

Anderson turned himself into the sheriff's office at approximately 4:45 a.m. May 15.

Kuyateh is still on the run and the sheriff's office says he should be considered armed and dangerous. 

Anyone with information is asked to call the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office at 770-443-3047 or via the Paulding Sheriff’s Office mobile app, which can be downloaded for free.

Paulding County family tries to cope with death of 11-year-old

Shareeda told FOX 5 she calls Paulding County Sheriff's detectives daily for an update on the suspects who shot up her family's home, killing her 11-year-old son.

News of the arrests was welcomed, but she said she would not rest until all of them were behind bars.

"To hear that one of them is in there, that put a little peace to my soul," Alexander told FOX 5's Deidra Dukes.

The victim's mother urged the outstanding suspects to turn themselves in.

"You took a piece of my heart that will never be healed," Anderson lamented.  "Just turn yourself in to give my baby that rest, to give us all a little peace, and let him rest in peace."