Who is Nigel Brown? Georgia boy, 9, shot dead while sleeping in his bed in drive-by shooting
ALBANY, GEORGIA: A drive-by shooting left a nine-year-old boy dead in Georgia on Sunday, August 8 night. According to police, Nigel Brown was sleeping in his bed when he was fatally struck in the head by a bullet during the shooting in Albany. The incident took place at around 11 pm.
According to police, officers with the Albany Police Department responded to reports of shooting to find that someone in a vehicle passing through the area opened fire, that killed Nigel. In a similar incident, a 10-year-old boy was killed and his uncle was wounded when an assailant opened fire on a home in New York City back in June. A 6-year-old boy, Aiden Leos died after being hit with a bullet while sitting in his car booster seat on a Southern California freeway in the month of May.
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Nigel's mother was in another room when the shooting took place. Having heard the shots, she went to check on her children and found Nigel unresponsive. He suffered a single gunshot wound to the head and was declared dead at the scene by EMTs. According to police, two other children and Nigel's great-grandfather, who were present at the home during the incident were unharmed. Albany police chief Michael Persley has appealed to the public for information. A $5,000 reward is offered for any information that might lead to the arrest of the shooters responsible for Nigel's death.
Apologizing to the Brown family for the tragedy, Persley said during a press conference, "This really is a senseless killing. I really need the community to help bring justice to the family of Nigel Brown." The police chief called those responsible for the shooting a "coward" and noted that he plans to meet with the Brown family in person. He said, "I apologize for the actions of those who did this."
Dougherty County District Attorney Greg Edwards noted that a felony murder charge is likely. "If you can’t live in your own home without fear of gun violence, then what’s the point in living? We’re not going to have that, "Edwards said. On Monday, August 9 afternoon, Ward 6 Albany City Commissioner Demetrius Young offered his thoughts to Nigel's family and said, "Sadly, this is not the first shooting in our community that has taken a young person’s life far too soon. Each and every time, it hurts. My prayers are with the family and everyone who knew and loved Nigel. Our community has been through too much gun violence. If we don’t take action and make real reforms to stabilize our neighborhoods and make our community safer for our children, our elders and everyone, things will not change. Please keep Nigel, his family and our city in your prayers, and reach out if you have any information. We will keep you updated on other actions you can take."