Police arrest man accused of opening fire on DeKalb home, striking 2 kids

Two children were shot inside a residence in Gresham Park on March 30, authorities said.

Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC

Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC

Two children were shot inside a residence in Gresham Park on March 30, authorities said.

A suspect is in custody three months after two children were shot in their Gresham Park home, according to DeKalb County police.

Deonte Daugherty faces a slew of charges, including 24 counts of aggravated assault and two counts of first-degree cruelty to children, police said.

He is accused of opening fire into a unit at the Artesian East Village apartment complex in the 1500 block of Bouldercrest Road at around 2 a.m. on March 30. The children, ages 6 and 7, were inside when they were struck, “but thankfully, they survived,” officials said.

A little over a week later, the home was fired on again, according to police.

“Through the hard work of our officers, the suspect and vehicle were identified,” the department said in a statement.

Daugherty was located at a nearby apartment complex, where he was arrested without incident, police said.

Authorities have not disclosed a motive for either shooting or said if someone in the home was an intended target.

At the time of the first incident, a man told Channel 2 Action News the children were his son and niece and that he returned fire when their home was struck at least 15 times.

“We just got caught up in some of them devils attacking my family,” he said at the time.