Teen pleads not guilty to shooting, killing 3-year-old boy in DeKalb on Easter
A teenager pleaded not guilty Thursday to a murder charge in connection with the shooting death of a 3-year-old boy in DeKalb County on Easter Sunday, Channel 2 Action News reported.
Christopher Cullins, 15, requested bond, but he was denied by the judge, Channel 2 reported.
On April 1, Rashonda Craig was driving on Eastland Road near Bouldercrest Road in southeast Atlanta with T’Rhigi Diggs strapped into a car seat in the backseat.
The mother told Channel 2 she saw people shooting paintball guns at a gas station, but then she heard a real gunshot. The bullet struck the child, killing him.
Cullins was arrested three days later.
The judge denied his request for bond Thursday, saying he could present a danger to society and might intimidate witnesses, the news station reported. He had been denied bond at an earlier hearing.
The teen's defense attorney, Rachel Gordon, said that even though Cullins admitted to authorities he fired a shot that day, that bullet wasn't the cause of the child's death, Channel 2 reported.
“A tragedy occurred that night. There’s no doubt about that. But the shot that Christopher admitted to firing has not been connected with the cause of that tragedy,” Gordon said in court.
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Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. He's been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people's lives.
