Man found guilty of killing 7-year-old outside Phipps Plaza sentenced to life

ATLANTA - The man found guilty of firing a stray bullet that killed a 7-year-old girl outside Phipps Plaza days before Christmas two years ago will spend the rest of his life in prison without the chance of parole.

Earlier in August, A Fulton County jury found Daquan Reed guilty on all counts in connection to the death of Kennedy Maxie.

Monday, a judge sentenced Reed to life without parole plus 15 years.

The little girl was riding in the back seat of her aunt's car on December 21, 2020 when prosecutors said Reed opened fire in the Phipps parking lot.  They allege he fired the shots because he was angry he had just been robbed outside the shopping mall.  

The bullet pierced the car Kennedy was in, hitting her in the head.

The life of 7-year-old Kennedy Maxie was cut short by a stray bullet near Phipps Plaza on Dec. 21, 2020. (Family photo)

"I'm going to ask that you render the only verdict that justice demands and that is a verdict of guilty on each and every count," Fulton County Assistant District Attorney Pat Dutcher told jurors in his opening statement.

The defense, however, said the witness testimony and physical evidence did not match up.  They encouraged the jury to consider the evidence carefully.  

"We agree; what happened to Kennedy Maxie is terrible, but Daquan Reed is innocent," said defense attorney Nicole Fegan.  "I'm confident that you'll come back with a verdict that speaks the truth on behalf of Dequan Reed and that's that he is innocent.  He's not guilty for each and every count charged."

Jurors heard from multiple witnesses during the trial including Kennedy's mom Mariah Maxie and her aunt Jade Maxie, who were both in the car when the shots rang out.

"She was unresponsive. She was hunched over. I was trying to get her to sit up. I was calling her name," Mariah Maxie told the court.

Reed was ultimately convicted on all charges including murder, felony murder, and aggravated assault.

Daquan Reed stands in a Fulton County courtroom to hear the jury’s verdict in the 2020 murder of 7-year-old Kennedy Maxie on August 18, 2022. (FOX 5)

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis released a statement following the verdict that reads:

"The defendant – like too many people in society today – chose to act out his anger through gun violence, and as a result, an innocent young child lost her life while on a shopping trip with her mother and aunt just a few days before Christmas 2020. While nothing we do can undo this murder, we worked tirelessly to achieve justice for Kennedy and her family. We hope that this conviction brings some solace to Kennedy’s family and the community that was so deeply hurt by this terrible, senseless tragedy."