'My sweet little baby': Georgia toddler fatally shot while watching TV; police search for suspects
While the family of a 3-year-old boy from Athens, Georgia mourns, authorities continue to hunt down and prosecute the toddler's alleged killers.
Kyron Zarco, also known as "Baby Dro," died after bullets pierced his home while he was watching TV and sitting on the sofa with his 9-year-old brother, Athens-Clarke police said.
“I am sickened by this heinous crime, and my heart aches for the grieving family, friends and loved oneswho are suffering such a tragic loss,” Athens-Clarke Chief of Police Jerry Saulters said March 9 in a news release. “The Athens-Clarke County Police Department will dedicate our full strength and resources to bring the killers to justice.”
So far, two teenagers have been arrested and are facing murder and other felony charges in connection to Kyron's death. Julian Cubillos, 17, and Jayden Brown, 16, are in police custody without bond while authorities search for two more suspects who were allegedly involved in the shooting.
Dakious Echols, 18, and Desmontrez Mathis, 22, are the remaining two suspects police intend to arrest for Kyron's murder. All four suspects have been charged with two counts of murder (malice and felony murder), four counts ofaggravated assault and violation of the Georgia Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, police said Thursday in a subsequent news release.
What happened to Kyron Zarco?
Athens-Clarke police responded to a call around 5:30 p.m. about a shooting at a mobile home park, according to the department. When officers arrived, they found three people with gunshot wounds − Kyron, his brother and an unidentified adult.
Kyron died from a bullet to the chest, according to Athens-Clarke County Coroner Sonny Wilson. The toddler's brother suffered a non-life-threatening injury, while the adult was not injured by gunfire, police said.
The front of the mobile home had at least seven gunshot holes as a result of the shooting, according to police.
Athens-Clarke police Lt. Jody Thompson said the shooting appears to be over a gang-related dispute. Police have not said who the intended target of the shooting was.
Manhunt for Kyron Zarco's alleged killers commences
Athens-Clarke police are searching for the remaining suspects with the help of a Violent Gang Safe Streets Tasks Force, which consists of federal, state and local officers, Thompson said.
Crime Stoppers is enlisting the public's help by offering up to a $2,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons involved in the shooting, police said.
"There has been a lot of public input and a lot of helpful information given,” Thompson said.
Cubillos was arrested in Jackson County, 19 miles from Athens, about an hour after the shooting, police said.
Athens-Clarke police had issued a lookout notice for a white Jeep Cherokee that Cubillos was possibly driving. A Jackson County sheriff's deputy spotted the Jeep and tailed it until the car stopped at a food mart in Arcade, Georgia, police said.
The deputy apprehended Cubillos after ordering him out of the Jeep and telling the teenager to put his hands in the air, according to police. When a backup officer arrived, Cubillos was put in handcuffs.
No weapons were found in Cubillos possession during the arrest, the deputy reported. The 17-year-old did not make a statement, and the deputies did not question him at that time.
Kyron Zarco's family mourns after deadly shooting
Kyron's mother, 29-year-old Shanita Smith, told WXIA-TV that her "baby didn't even have a chance" when bullets riddled the mobile home on the day of the shooting.
"Why? Why? I don't bother nobody. I don't bother nobody. So, were you aiming for someone else's house? Because why? My sweet little baby," Smith said.
Smith said she would have done "anything" for her kids.
"I love my kids," Smith told the TV station.
Kyron's family has organized a GoFundMe to help them find a safer home.
"Baby Dro’s life was taken from him too soon during a drive-by shooting while just watching television with his sibling, who was also hit by a bullet," the GoFundMe page says. "Baby Dro was only three years old when this horrific tragedy happened. This baby boy was so precious and innocent! He was her miracle baby, so sweet and full of joy."
The GoFundMe's donation goal is $30,000. So far, over $23,000 has been raised.
Contributing: Wayne Ford for the Athens Banner-Herald