11-year-old boy killed in Atlanta drive-by shooting
Police currently have no motive for the shooting
What started as a day of celebration ended with an unimaginable tragedy that took the life of an 11-year-old boy.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Connie Sims took his son, Tyrell Sims, to the mall on the afternoon of Nov. 6 to celebrate him passing an exam.
Later that evening, Tyrell went to play in the front yard with his friend after helping his friend’s grandmother decorate for Christmas, according to his father.
According to Connie, the boys were recording a TikTok video when a black vehicle slowly drove down the 1200 block of Bell Avenue located in East Point neighborhood.
Read More: 12-year-old called ‘Hero’ after taking a bullet for baby niece
The boy and his 12-year-old friend immediately hit the ground after they heard gun shots fire.
“The guy came running in and told me, ‘Your son was shot!’ I just started running, jumped in the car, tried to resuscitate him. I tried to bring him back. I believe I did all I could,” Sims told reporters on Monday.
Tyrell was shot in the head. Police and paramedics arrived to the scene and the boy was then rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
In a police report that was obtained by AJC, the 12-year-old friend said he witnessed the vehicle speeding up, “and all of a sudden they were being shot at.”
As he heard the bullets moving past his head, he reportedly laid on the ground and played dead, watching as the vehicle made a right turn onto Bayard Street, according to police.
Read More: Chicago boy, 12, shot while picking up school supplies with father
East Point police opened an investigation but currently have no possible motives for the shooting. This comes just weeks after the shooting of 13-year-old Brayan Zavala who was shot dead outside his residence in Riverdale.
According to an article from CBS46, police are seeking two persons of interest connected to the shooting of Tyrell Sims – Antonius Montanez Aziz and Jeremiah Taylor.
One Twitter user @23catsinaroom responded to the article shared by AJC editor – who noted Tyrell as a straight- A student who “dreamed of playing in the NFL” – calling the tragedy, “soul crushing.“
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