Four-year-old Fatally Shot in Car, Man Accidentally Killed with Assault Rifle by Younger Brother

In a vehicle outside a thrift store in Columbia, South Carolina, four-year-old Jah’el Walker was shot and killed. Jah’el was in the car with two other children, and his mother was nearby during the shooting. The police chief said the incident is under investigation to determine exactly what happened. “I’m at a loss at this point. We continue to say the same things over and over again about leaving guns in cars … keeping arms away from children,” he said. “Obviously it was a very difficult situation, given especially this time of year, and other children were present. We are saying a prayer for their family.”

And in Lincoln, Nebraska, 20-year-old Johnathan McCray was accidentally shot and killed with an assault rifle by his 16-year-old brother. The brother, Kentrail McDaniel, told officials that he had recently been assaulted, and was staying with his brother and carrying an assault rifle for protection. The brothers drove to their mother’s apartment in separate vehicles, and as McDaniel got out and walked to toward the complex he saw a masked figure coming toward him and fired 15 rounds. McDaniel has been charged with manslaughter and use of a firearm to commit a felony.

Sources:

“Memorial Grows Outside Once Upon A Child Where Columbia 4-year-old was Shot, Killed,” wistv.com (December 26, 2024).

Abigail Carrera, “Lincoln Teen Charged as Adult in Fraternal Homicide on Christmas Eve,” ksnblocal4.com (December 26, 2024).