An East Point father is facing charges after his 4-year-old daughter was shot and killed on New Year’s Eve, according to police.
East Point officers received a call about a shooting at a home in the Martel Homes community on Sunday. When they arrived, they found Kamaiyah Perdue with a gunshot wound. She was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where she died, police said.
Her father, Damarkis Marquis Perdue, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, second-degree cruelty to children and tampering with evidence, officials said.
Credit: Fulton County Sheriff's Office
Credit: Fulton County Sheriff's Office
The child found an unsecured gun inside the home and was shot, Channel 2 Action News reported. It’s not clear who pulled the trigger, but investigators believe Damarkis Perdue tried to “hide the weapon or (tried) to hide any evidence that goes with the weapon,” Sgt. J.L. Watkins told the news station.
“The main thing is please lock up your weapons because in this case and other cases, a child can get a hold of it,” Watkins said.
While details of what happened are limited, a second-degree murder charge can be filed if a child dies and if prosecutors can prove criminal negligence on the part of the adult responsible for the child’s safety, according to Georgia law.
It’s a charge that can be used when prosecutors hope to obtain a longer sentence than would be possible under a charge of involuntary manslaughter, which carries a maximum of 10 years in prison. A second-degree murder conviction ranges from 10 to 30 years.
