Young Boy Dies Following Drive-By Shooting of Car Full of Children

An 8-year-old Georgia boy died early Monday morning after he was shot on Friday night during an apparent drive-by shooting.

The boy, who was later identified as Jermarrion Cherry, was inside a vehicle with several other small children and was getting ready to leave the house when the deadly incident occurred, Houston County sheriff's officials told Newsweek.

According to police, "multiple shots" from a passing vehicle were fired at a home and the car that Cherry was inside of at approximately 9:15 p.m. Deputies said the adult who was with the children had just stepped away from the car when the shooting happened. One of the stray bullets struck the 8-year-old in the head before he was flown to Scottish Rite Children's Hospital in Atlanta in critical condition.

The child, however, was pronounced dead at the hospital at approximately 2:30 a.m. three days later, police said in a media update that was posted to Facebook.

"It's just a sad, tragic case for this young child, for his family, for the community in Houston County," Houston County Sheriff's Captain Jon Holland told WMAZ-TV. "It's not something that we're used to dealing with in our job every day."

The investigation is ongoing and investigators are interviewing potential witnesses and examining the evidence recovered at the scene. Police have not released additional details or a potential motive for the shooting.

Police are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact the lead investigator Sergeant Greg Pennycuff at 478-542-2080.

Sadly, Cherry is the most recent victim in the rising amount of children and teens who are killed by gun violence.

This year alone, an estimated 366 minors have died, according to online database Gun Violence Archive. An estimated 1,055 children were killed last year compared to 999 in 2020.

In early February, an 8-year-old Florida girl was killed after she was shot while standing on her front porch in a drive-by shooting. Authorities called Ronziyah Atkins' death a "senseless homicide" and a suspect was arrested on February 7.

Just two weeks later, a 7-year-old Arizona girl was killed after several bullets entered the vehicle she was sitting in with her family. The suspect fled the scene and the girl's mother drove to the hospital where the child was pronounced dead.

Meanwhile, a 6-year-old boy from Mississippi was also killed during a drive-by shooting at a park on February 20.