7-Year-Old Georgia Girl Shot In Head; Police Announce $15,000 Reward For Tip Leading to Suspects

Authorities have offered a $15,000 reward for any information that will lead to the arrest of suspects involved in the shooting of a 7-year-old girl at Phipps Plaza in Buckhead, Atlanta.

Kennedy Maxie of Mableton, who is in critical condition, was hit by a stray bullet on Monday evening while Christmas shopping with her family, reported Atlanta News Now.

Maxie suffered a gunshot injury in the back of her head. She was in a car with her aunt when the gunshots rang out. According to her aunt, she didn't realize the child had been hit until Kennedy began acting strangely. She immediately rushed the child to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite where emergency surgery was performed.

However, investigators do not believe that the family's Lexus was the target of the shooting. Rodney Bryant, interim police chief, said it was the result of an argument between several men in the parking lot of Saks Fifth Avenue.

"Once again we're addressing a situation of a senseless shooting that we believe arose from individuals unable to resolve a situation civilly," interim Police Chief Rodney Bryant said Tuesday.

The family released Maxie's photo, hoping that someone would come forward with information about the case. A GoFundMe page has also been set up to assist the victim's family. It has raised more than $16,000 as of writing.

In a Facebook post, Atlanta police said the officers are "sickened" each time someone else is injured or killed in a shooting. "It is especially disturbing when small children are the victims of these acts. Kennedy and her family didn't deserve to be victims of gun violence. Their family's day out shopping ended with this little girl shot in the head and her undergoing surgery," the post read.

"Our investigators, our Gun Assault Team, Homicide Unit, and our beat officers work around the clock to keep this city safe and find those involved in these horrific acts. We use every available technology and resource to find these suspects, but we cannot do it alone. If you or someone you know, has information on this crime, or any crime in this city, please call 911 to report it, or call Crime Stoppers Greater Atlanta directly to report anonymously at 404-577-8477," said the post.

According to the report, this incident is the latest addition to a spate of shootings in the area. This year alone, there have been 151 homicides across the city, which is a significant increase from the 99 slayings police investigated in 2019.