Girl, 11, dies after being struck by stray bullet in Spalding County

SPALDING COUNTY, Ga. - Authorities are searching for the man who deputies say fired the shot that killed an 11-year-old girl as she slept inside her Spalding County apartment.

Sheriff Dix say investigators have taken out warrants for 22-year-old Kionta Parks on felony murder, three counts of aggravated assault, four counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, cruelty to children, 14 counts of violating the Georgia Criminal Street Gang Act, and domestic terrorism.

"He should be considered extremely armed and dangerous," Spalding County Sheriff Darrell Dix warns.

The shooting happened around 1 a.m. at the J Building in Spalding Heights apartments. Sheriff Dix says one of the rounds fired at the intended target missed and traveled through the child's bedroom window.

"All indications are that it was a gang-related shooting and he was shooting at another person who pulled into the parking lot, from about 100 yards away, with a rifle, and was just spraying bullets," the sheriff said.

The sheriff says after a day-long investigation, deputies were able to identify Parks, not just for Tuesday morning’s deadly shooting, but a shooting last month.

"We have been able to connect him to another shooting that happened at the same apartment complex on February 14. So, we took warrants out of him for those charges as well," said Sheriff Dix.

No one was killed in the Valentine’s Day shooting, the sheriff says.

Investigators are trying to determine if there was another shooter in Tuesday's incident, but believe the bullet which killed the 11-year-old girl was fired by Parks.

What is known about the 11-year-old girl killed by a stray bullet

Investigators have not yet released the name of the girl.

"Her family originally is from out of town. They’re from Louisiana," the sheriff said, adding that they are waiting until all family members have been notified to release her name.

Sheriff Dix says she was an elementary school student.

"She was a beautiful young girl, very well liked, very talented, and I think she was very loved by the people that knew her and were around her," the sheriff said.

The sheriff says gang violence impacting the community's youth needs to be stopped.

"When you see all that potential wiped away because some idiot decides that he wants to go into an apartment complex and starts randomly firing shots at somebody because of a gang affiliation or how they feel like they were wronged earlier, whether it be a week ago, a year ago or two hours ago, it is just absolutely ridiculous. It’s ridiculous," Sheriff Dix said.

The sheriff says deaths like this one dramatically impact the community, starting with the public safety officials.

"They are either parents or grandparents, and when you walk into a room, you do this for a long time, and unfortunately, you get used to seeing bodies. But when you walk into a room, there is an 11-year-old child laying a bed that had nothing to do with this, had earlier that night said goodbye to some of her friends she palled around with, went upstairs, ‘Hey, I’ll see you in school tomorrow,’ and that was it. And she’s gone," the sheriff said. "Why does it take a child losing their life before we start taking things like this seriously? Things need to change. Law enforcement can only do so much. It’s ridiculous."

The sheriff called upon the community to step up to help.

"We need the help of the community. The community is going to need to draw a line in the sand and say enough is enough. And stop condoning this type of behavior," Sheriff Dix said. "It’s like they’re turning a blind eye to it a lot of times. And why is that? Why has it become acceptable for y’all to have to run news stories about children who were killed by gang violence? Why has it become the thing of the day? And it doesn’t even phase anybody anymore."

"And it’s happening all over the place, it’s not just here," the sheriff added.

"It’s so frustrating and so infuriating to know that there are children who have to live in this fear everyday of their lives," the sheriff said. "It’s uncalled for. It’s ridiculous. And folks need to get control of themselves."

The Special Victims Unit is assisting the family with temporary lodging and expenses.

Sheriff calls shooting suspect in death of 11-year-old girl ‘a monster’

Spalding County Sheriff Darrell Dix says investigators were able to identify 22-year-old Kionta Parks after a day of "good old-fashion police work."

"We were able to develop some leads and follow up on those leads," the sheriff said.

Parks, who lives in Spalding County, did not directly live at the apartment complex.

"He has relatives who live in the complex, but he will move if he thinks someone is on him," Sheriff Dix said.

The sheriff says Parks moves around a lot, but often it is in all the wrong places.

"He is also one of those people who always seems to be right around when violent things happen and it is just his pattern," the sheriff said.

That is why the sheriff says he wants him off the streets fast.

"That’s what makes him so dangerous. He has a complete disregard for human life. He thinks nothing of it. He thinks nothing pulling a trigger on a gun, just like he doesn’t think about breathing," the sheriff said.

Sheriff Dix says Parks has a pretty extensive history of violent acts.

"It’s just the way he is. He’s a monster," the sheriff says.

He says it would not surprise him if Parks was still in the county.

"He is bold enough and arrogant enough to think that he can’t be caught and that he can’t be found," the sheriff said.

Sheriff Dix encourages anyone who sees him or knows Parks whereabouts to call 911 or the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office.