Six people were arrested following the death of a 13-year-old girl who was hit by a stray bullet. The police alleged the six suspects unleashed a barrage of gunfire with an assault weapon into the girl's home in South Carolina, striking her as she was playing video games in a room with a younger child.
The shooting occurred early Tuesday morning when the suspects allegedly drove to the girl's home in Cheraw, a northeast South Carolina community of approximately 5,000 people, and fired multiple shots into the residence. At least one of the suspects was wielding an assault rifle.
The shooting arose from an ongoing dispute between two groups, and the suspects allegedly believed one of their adversaries was inside the house.
Chesterfield County Sheriff's Capt. Wayne Jordan said that from what he understood, the child was not the target. There was another target at the house, or the suspects think was there, per WSOC.
Suspects are charged with murder
"They just seemed in shock at the whole situation. Sometimes I feel like they think it's just a big game," said Jordan, adding, "Once your life is over, it's over. You don't start over; you don't start the game over. These kids do not comprehend what they're doing."
The sheriff's office announced the arrests on Wednesday, which involved five men and a woman ranging in age from their late teens to mid-20s. The authorities said that five suspects are charged with murder and attempted murder, and a sixth suspect was arrested on charges of obstruction of justice.
The sheriff's office identified the five murder suspects as Kyron Robinson, Michael Flowers, Jr., Michael Johnson, Timothy Byrd, and Trevoin Gary. According to the sheriff's office, the suspect charged with obstruction was identified as Genesis Evans.
The young girl's death has rocked the small community of Cheraw in Chesterfield County and even shocked the suspects, who allegedly attacked the child's home while looking for the intended target they believed lived there, authorities said per ABC News.
It was unclear if the suspects have hired attorneys or are awaiting a judge to appoint public defenders to represent them.
Stray bullet shooting in the United States
Many stray bullet shootings stem from violence but frequently affect females, children, and older adults. Those who are shot have little or no warning. Opportunities for prevention once shooting starts are limited.
According to a new study by researchers from the School of Medicine at the University of California, Davis, more than 300 people in the United States were struck by stray bullets between March 2008 and February 2009. The victims are usually unconnected to the shootings.
The study, published in The Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, calculated the frequency of stray-bullet shootings during 11 months which the researchers called a phenomenon that resulted in at least 317 injuries, per JJIE Org.
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