DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A 44-year-old father has been convicted in the 2023 shooting death of his 7-year-old son.
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On Thursday, Dante Lamar Daugherty, 44, pleaded guilty to murder in the second degree and two counts of cruelty to children in the second degree in connection with the death of his son, Z’ayre Daugherty, 7, on September 4, 2023.
A judge sentenced the 44-year-old to 10 years, with two years to be served in custody and the remainder on probation.
According to the investigation, Daugherty had parked at the Texaco gas station in Lithonia and exited his vehicle with his two sons. He instructed them to get back into the car while he went inside, leaving his gun wrapped in a cloth under the driver’s seat. Surveillance footage showed the children in the back seat before a flash of gunfire was seen.
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Authorities said the father was unsure whether Z’ayre had accidentally shot himself or if his younger brother was involved, as the brother could not explain what happened. The DeKalb County Police Department responded to the scene and found the firearm and a shell casing in the vehicle.
Channel 2 Action News spoke to the store clerk who called 911. She says Daugherty is a regular customer, and he was inside the store playing the lottery when the shooting happened.
The video does not actually show the shooting, but eventually, you can see and sense the panic. The car door flings open and a child runs across the parking lot towards the busy intersection.
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The DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office urges the community to practice safe firearm storage to prevent similar tragedies. Information on firearm safety can be found here.
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