COBB COUNTY, GA – Heartbreak has struck a Georgia community after a 9-month-old baby girl was shot and killed outside a Cobb County motel late Tuesday night, in what police are calling a senseless act of violence. The shooting unfolded at the Budgetel Inn & Suites near the Atlanta Galleria, leaving a young mother screaming in horror as her infant daughter took her last breath in her arms.
A Mother’s Desperate Call
Authorities say the mother’s frantic 911 call came just before midnight, her voice breaking as she pleaded for help. When officers and paramedics arrived, they found the infant gravely wounded. Despite every effort, she was declared beyond lifesaving measures at the scene. Witnesses later described the mother’s cries echoing through the parking lot—a sound they said they will never forget.
Community Devastated
Neighbors and witnesses spoke through tears about the baby, who they said brought light into their lives in her short time on earth. “She was so precious,” one woman said, recalling how the little girl’s laughter touched everyone around her. Another neighbor admitted, “I still hear her squeals. Her laugh. Her laugh.”
Arrest Made
Police quickly identified and arrested 22-year-old Ladarrius Brown, charging him with felony murder in connection to the shooting. Brown, who has a history of prior charges including theft and battery, is now being held without bond in the Cobb County Jail. Investigators say bullet holes found at the scene suggest multiple shots were fired, and additional arrests may follow as the case unfolds.
Caught in the Crossfire
Detectives believe the baby and her mother were not the intended targets of the gunfire. Instead, the child’s life was cut short in the crossfire of violence meant for someone else—a reality that makes the tragedy even more devastating.
A Community in Mourning
The motel has since become a site of mourning, with flowers, stuffed animals, and candles placed in memory of the infant. Local leaders have condemned the violence and called for change. “This should never happen,” one community organizer said. “We owe it to this child, and every child, to do better.”
Seeking Justice
Police continue to investigate and are urging anyone with information to come forward. For now, a mother is left shattered, her arms empty, and a community is left grieving the loss of a child whose life ended far too soon.
Rest in peace, little one. Your memory will live on in the love and calls for justice you leave behind.