Deputies offer $10K reward for man accused of killing 11-year-old girl
$10K reward offered to find man who shot, killed 11-year-old girl
The Spalding County Sheriff's Office announced on Thursday the reward to find the suspected gang member who opened fire in an apartment complex parking lot has been raised to $10,000. The suspect, 22-year-old Kionta Parks, is wanted for the death of 11-year-old Asijah Love Jones after investigators say one of those stray bullets flew through a window, killing Parks.
SPALDING COUNTY, Ga. - Spalding County officials are offering a $10,000 reward to anyone who can help them arrest a "dangerous" suspect wanted in connection with the deadly shooting of an 11-year-old girl.
According to Spalding County authorities, on March 14, 11-year-old Asijah Love Jones was in bed sleeping when a bullet entered the apartment, killing her.
After an investigation, Spalding County Sheriff Darrell Dix says deputies identified the suspect as 22-year-old Kionta Parks, who authorities say is armed and dangerous.
"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," Dix said.
Parks is now wanted on charges of 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.
Asijah Love Jones (Courtesy of the family)
Dix said Parks has a history of violent acts, calling him a "monster."
"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.
Investigators now believe that the wanted man has cut his hair and may have taken other steps to change his appearance.
"At this point, he has made the conscious decision to run. That is his choice and his decision, just like pulling a trigger was his choice and his decision. Even with that, if he has a different side to the story, we will listen to it. We can’t hear it if he’s running and refuses to talk to us. Running isn’t going to help him, and it’s just a matter of time before he is caught," Dix said in a statement Thursday. Her blood on his hands isn’t going away, and neither are we."
Kionta Parks (Spalding County Sheriff's Office)
Authorities say their investigation is "far from over" and they are working on every lead they have to try and find Parks.
If you have any information about the case, please call investigators at (770) 467-4282.
Family reacts to death of 11-year-old Asijah Love Jones
Little girl has nightmares after sister killed next to her by stray bullet
Angel, 10, was sleeping in bed next to her 11-year-old sister Asijah when a stray bullet from someone shooting outside their apartment entered their bedroom and killed her big sister. Police are still searching for Kionta Parks who they say was involved in the gang-related shooting that killed Asijah.
In an interview on Monday, the 11-year-old girl's father Marcus Jones told FOX 5 his heart is in pieces.
"I’m like a ship with no sail now…it’s like I’m just drifting," Jones said. "I can’t even cry, I’m so mad."
The father of two says, to make the situation even worse, his 10-year-old daughter, Angel, was in bed with her sister around 1 a.m. when they heard the sound of gunfire inside the Northside Hills Apartment complex.
"My mom wanted us to crawl to her, and then Asijah didn’t come...I looked at Asijah, and then we woke her up, and she started screaming. He turned her around, and I saw all the blood…it was everywhere," the victim’s 10-year-old sister recalled of that night.
Angel told FOX 5 it is not the first shooting to happen in the complex in their time living there, but she is been having nightmares about her older sister since.
"Something just ripped out a big part of me. There’s an empty space but I’m still living," she explained.
While Asijah’s mother has started a GoFundMe to cover moving costs, they are also asking anyone who can to send donations directly to Peterson Funeral Home in Griffin. Asijah’s funeral is set for Saturday. Donations can be made by calling the funeral home or sending money via cash app at $PetersonsFH.
Anyone with information that can help detectives, give the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office a call.