Officers arrest 5 in drive-by that killed 8-year-old Georgia boy
Jermarrion Cherry lost to gun violence (National Gun Violence Memorial).
WARNER ROBINS, Ga. - Georgia authorities say they’ve arrested two teenagers and three men in their early 20s in a drive-by shooting that killed an 8-year-old boy.
Officials say at around 9:15 p.m. on March 25, a vehicle drove through the 200 block of Virginia Dare Drive and someone inside fired multiple shots toward a home and vehicle on the block.
At the time of the shooting, investigators say several small children were inside the vehicle waiting to leave with an adult.
The gunmen hit one child, identified as 8-year-old Jermarrion Pachino Cherry, in the head. He was rushed to Scottish Rite Children's Hospital in Atlanta for treatment and passed away last week.
His mother, Tamica Smith, said he got on top of one child to shield her and told others to run into the house, WGXA-TV reported.
The Houston County sheriff’s and district attorney’s offices said on Facebook that five people were arrested on murder charges and held without bail in connection with the child’s death.
They were identified as Bryce Michael Crosby, 20, of Kathleen, and four people from Warner Robins: Ricky Aubry McChargue, 21; Chase Jeffrey Watson, 20; Lenny Victor Gupton Jr., 19; and Savannah McGahee, 17. Watson’s arrest was announced Saturday and the others on Friday.
It was not clear whether any had attorneys who could speak for them.
Smith said her son, one of 10 children, preferred to be called by his middle name, the TV station reported.
If you have any information about the shooting, please call investigators at 478-542-2080.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.