A 2-year-old girl was fatally shot when a man opened fire at an Augusta home Tuesday evening after an argument with the child’s mother, authorities said.
The toddler, identified as Ja’Ziah Pollard, was hit in the head when her mother’s live-in boyfriend kicked open the door to her Meadowbrook Drive home and fired once, according to investigators with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office. She was taken to a local hospital, where she later died.
The boyfriend, 28-year-old Marquie Gunter, was arrested and charged with murder.
Gunter and Pollard’s mother share an infant child, but he is not related to the toddler, sheriff’s spokeswoman Sgt. Kimberly Lee said. The two were arguing over the use of a vehicle before Gunter allegedly started shooting.
“Gunter discharged a firearm multiple times, striking the vehicle, which caused substantial damage,” Lee said in a statement. “After Ingram ran inside of the residence and closed and locked the door, Gunter kicked the door open and fired one time inside the residence from outside and struck Ja’Ziah Pollard in the head.”
Authorities were called to the home about 7:45 p.m. after the child was shot, and Gunter was taken into custody.
In addition to the murder charge, Gunter faces aggravated assault, second-degree criminal damage to property and weapons charges. As a felon, Gunter was not supposed to have a gun, authorities said.
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