DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Police are investigating a drive-by shooting that left a 3-year-old dead in DeKalb County, Georgia late Sunday night.
According to Atlanta's WSB-TV, a woman was driving when another vehicle pulled up alongside her and someone inside fired a shot into the rear passenger door. Her child was strapped into the rear passenger seat.
"She saw somebody who was pointing what appeared to be a paintball gun at her vehicle and she heard a real gunshot," DeKalb County Police Chief James Conroy said.
Last night, someone shot & killed 3 y/o T'Rhigi Diggs while he was sleeping in his car seat. His Mom was driving & said someone pulled up & fired the fatal shot. He was her only child. We'll have the latest on police manhunt for suspect - on Ch2 at 4pm pic.twitter.com/BTXCqeWHue
— Tyisha Fernandes (@TyishaWSB) April 2, 2018
Police said the incident happened on Eastland Road late Sunday near southeast Atlanta.
The child's mother, Rashonda Craig, told WSB-TV that the situation was like a nightmare. She said she was driving on Bouldercrest Road in southeast Atlanta around 11:30 p.m. Sunday when she saw someone pull up in a gray Dodge Charger and point what she thought to be a paintball gun at her vehicle.
"My baby was sleeping in the backseat when I saw the car come past," Craig said. "I saw a paintball gun but then I heard a real gun. When I heard the gunshot, my baby started crying. I didn't know my baby was shot."
Less than a mile up the road, she said she realized he was hit.
Craig said her son just turned 3 a few days ago and that she has no idea who would do this to him. She thinks it might have been a case of mistaken identity because she was driving a rental car.
Police said they are looking for a gray Dodge Charger with a temporary tag.
Cox Media Group