He wasn’t even 5 feet tall and had only been 13 years old for a few hours. But Nizzear Rodriguez had big plans.
A straight-A student, Nizzear wanted to go to college, then create video games that were even better than the ones he loved to play. This fall, he planned to make the all-star team in recreation league basketball. And later this week, he was planning to go to an arcade with his dad to celebrate his birthday.
“He had a vision,” Kaheel Balson, Nizzear’s father, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “That’s all he wanted to do.”
Instead, Nizzear was shot in the head around 2 a.m. Sunday as he slept in his grandmother’s Carrollton apartment, according to police. Relatives found him later Sunday morning when it was time for breakfast.
Investigators have not determined a motive for the boy’s shooting, Capt. Chris Dobbs told The AJC. But within hours of Nizzear’s death, 17-year-old Malik Davis was in custody and charged with murder. With family members looking on, Davis was denied bond at his first court appearance Tuesday afternoon.
On Tuesday, police announced that three additional arrests had been made in the case. Kenneth Wheat, 21, and Jackquline Leann Freeman, 24, have each been charged with murder, Dobbs said. Investigators believe Freeman acted as the getaway driver, Dobbs said. A fourth suspect, Oleida Ward, 34, of Carrollton, has been charged with making false statements, Dobbs said. Police did not release details about her alleged involvement.
Investigators believe both Davis and Wheat entered the apartment, but may have been in the wrong apartment, Dobbs said. It’s not known who pulled the trigger.
Outside the apartment Tuesday evening, friends and family were still in shock over the boy’s death. Visitors stopped by with food, offering hugs and comfort to family members, including Balson, who struggled to explain what happened.
“There is no why,” Balson said. “It’s senseless.”
Police said earlier Tuesday that robbery may have been a motive in the shooting. But Balson said nothing, including his son’s PlayStation, was missing from the room or apartment.
Balson said his mother, Alice Stout Osorio, had helped raise Nizzear since he was a little boy. Osorio’s home was a popular place for kids to gather, and if you were around when a meal was served, she would treat you like family, Balson said.
“She’s like a grandma to everybody,” Balson said.
Davis and Wheat didn’t live in the neighborhood, but both had previously been in Osorio’s home, Balson said.
Nizzear was scared of the dark and liked to keep his television on while he slept, his dad said. The TV may have helped block the sound of the gunshot that killed Nizzear.
Davis, the first to be arrested, has been charged with murder, burglary and possession of a firearm after the alleged home invasion, according to police. In the hours before Nizzear was shot, Davis had been involved in an altercation at a local bar, Dobbs said.
In a courtroom Tuesday afternoon at the Carroll County jail, Davis told Judge Al Johnson that at the time of his arrest, he was already on probation. He is a high school dropout who should be in the 10th grade, he said.
After the hearing, Davis was led back to jail. He will have his next court appearance on Sept. 15. Relatives declined to speak to reporters outside the jail.
Outside his family’s apartment, Nizzear’s father greeted visitors, including some strangers, who stopped by to express their sympathies.
“My son was so lovable,” Balson said. “You couldn’t even get mad at him.”
Visitation for Nizzear will be held Sept. 5 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Carrollton. His funeral will be held Sept. 6 at the church. Martin and Hightower Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
An online fundraising page has been set up for those wishing to assist the family.
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