An 11-year-old schoolboy has been killed in a drive-by shooting as he walked home from helping his best friend’s grandmother put up a Christmas tree.
Tyrell Sims and his 12-year-old friend were walking across a street in Atlanta, Georgia, when he was shot in the head after a gunman from a car fired into a crowd last Friday.
Police are unsure if the shot fired from the car hit Tyrell or if there was crossfire which killed him.
They say the car where the shot was fired from was a black Chrysler or Lexis Sedan and they are investigating if any shots were fired back from the crowd.
East Point Police Department Capt. Allyn Glover told People.com: “There were two groups apparently beefing, and a car drove by and apparently shot into the crowd. And we don’t know at this point if the people they were shooting at returned fire.
“This was an absolutely totally innocent victim who was hit.
“He was an honour role student at school.”
Tyrell was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital where he died of his injuries.
His friend escaped uninjured.
Tyrell’s heartbroken dad Conrad Sims told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that after he heard that his son was shot he rushed to the scene.
He said: “I tried to bring him back.
“I believe I did all I could.”
The grieving parent said hours before his son died they had celebrated him getting all A’s on his report card.
The pair had gone shopping where Mrs Sims bought Tyrell a gift.
“I didn’t know that would be the last time talking to him or hugging him,” he said, WSB-TV reported.
Tyrell’s devasted mum Cathy Smith told 11Alive said she wants justice for her son.
“It was so fast — I didn’t expect to do this, I didn’t, I didn’t expect to bury my baby, period,” she said.
“I need everything I can get to make sure my baby can be in peace.”
Kevin Bryant, Tyrell’s uncle, added that his nephew was “in the wrong place at the wrong time”.