East Point police have questioned and released two men previously considered persons of interest in a drive-by shooting that killed an 11-year-old boy.
Detectives on Thursday asked for the public’s help to locate Jeremiah Taylor, 35, and Antonius Montanez Aziz, 23, thinking the men may have information in the Oct. 6 death of Tyrell Sims.
“Soon after media reports were broadcast, both Aziz and Taylor soon reached out and were interviewed by detectives,” East Point police spokesman Capt. Allyn Glover said Monday. “Both are not considered suspects in the case and were thanked for their time.”
Sims was shot in the head when someone in a black car opened fire on Bell Avenue, where Sims and his 12-year-old friend were playing outside, according to police. His friend hit the ground and played dead, but Sims did not move again.
His father, Connie Sims, performed CPR on the boy before he was loaded into an ambulance and taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“The guy came running in and told me, ‘Your son was shot!’” Sims told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I just started running, jumped in the car, tried to resuscitate him. I tried to bring him back. I believe I did all I could.”
Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC
Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC
Tyrell Sims was a fifth grader at KIPP South Fulton Academy who loved football and excelled in school. His father said he did not know anyone who would want to hurt the boy.
Speaking with reporters last week, Connie Sims said he and his neighbors would work with police to find the people responsible for Tyrell’s death and hopefully prevent future tragedies.
“We don’t want this happening to your child,” he said. “We don’t need gun violence in the community. Period. We’re going to come out of the holes to find out who done this.”
Anyone with information about the deadly shooting is asked to contact the East Point Police Department at 404-761-2177.
— Please return to AJC.com for updates.
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