A seven-year-old boy died inside a car at a Texaco gas station in Lithonia, Georgia.
According to reports, 42-year-old Dante Daugherty, the child’s father, stopped at the station on Monday, September 4, with his two sons, aged six and seven.
The boys briefly exited the vehicle before their father entered the store. Shortly after, the younger son left the car and ran off.
When Daugherty returned, he discovered his son, identified as Zayre Daugherty, dead in the car. Investigators from the DeKalb County Police Department revealed that Daugherty had left a loaded pistol in the vehicle.
The children found the pistol when the dad was inside the store. Zayre had been shot in the head. Daugherty has been charged with second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree cruelty to children.
None of the workers at the gas station reported hearing any shots during the incident. Akbar Dhanani, who often interacts with Daugherty at the station, said, “He comes here all the time. He is a regular customer, and I feel so bad. He is like family. I feel so sad for them.”
