An 8-year-old boy died at an Atlanta hospital Monday morning after he was struck during a drive-by shooting Friday night in Houston County, officials said.

The boy, identified as Jermarrion Cherry, was inside a vehicle with several other children waiting to leave a residence in the 200 block of Virginia Dare Drive with an adult when he was hit once in the head, the Houston sheriff’s office said. The gunfire came from another vehicle that drove past the residence and fired several shots about 9:15 p.m., authorities said.

Officials did not say if the shooting was targeted or at what residence and vehicle the suspect was trying to aim. The adult was just a few feet away from the vehicle as the shooting occurred, the office said.

Cherry was rushed to a hospital in critical condition. He died Monday at about 2:30 a.m. at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite.

As of Monday afternoon, investigators continue interviewing witnesses and examining evidence recovered at the scene. No information about a suspect has been released.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Houston County Sheriff’s Office at 478-542-2080.

— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.

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In this file photo from October 2024, Atlanta Braves outfielder Jorge Soler and teammates react after losing to the San Diego Padres 5-4 in San Diego. The Braves and Soler, who now plays for the Los Angeles Angels, face a lawsuit by a fan injured at a 2021 World Series game at Truist Park in Atlanta. (Jason Getz/AJC)

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