Tragedy struck in Decatur County when an 8-year-old boy was fatally shot in a Bainbridge home. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) has detained two individuals in connection with the incident: 49-year-old Knisha Perkins and a 13-year-old relative of the victim. Perkins faces three counts of second-degree cruelty to children and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, while the 13-year-old has been charged with one count of felony murder and one count of aggravated assault, as reported by the GBI.
According to a press release from the GBI, the incident occurred last Friday, July 11, around 11:40 p.m., with no adults present at the home on Vada Road. The investigation revealed that the shooting happened under the supervision of a 13-year-old who had access to a firearm. A one-year-old child also present at the scene was unharmed.
GBI’s crime lab received the body of a 8-year-old for an autopsy. The urgent call for assistance was sent to the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office, who collaborated with the GBI in the investigation. Deputies responding to the 911 call found the young boy with injuries that he could not survive. Perkins and the young suspect were taken into custody on Tuesday.
Both accused individuals await their due procedure in the judicial system – Perkins is held at the Decatur County Jail, and the minor is at the Decatur County Youth Detention Center. The case remains open, with the GBI encouraging anyone with information to reach out. Tips can be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at the bureau's official website, or through the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
Once the investigation is concluded, the case will be forwarded to the South Georgia Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
