Babysitter's 11-year-old son pulled trigger, killing 8-year-old girl in Cumberland County: Family
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- A babysitter's 11-year-old son shot and killed an 8-year-old girl under her care in Fayetteville, according to the young girl's family.
Jenesis Dockery died on July 25. Her funeral was held Wednesday, giving friends and family a chance to say their final goodbyes.
In the two weeks since her death, the wave of grief has turned into a fight for justice.
Her father, Fon Dockery, said he left Jenesis and her 5-year-old sister with their babysitter. The babysitter was a longtime friend of the Dockerys and had cared for the two girls multiple times.
However, an hour after dropping off his daughters, Fon received a call informing him that the babysitter's 11-year-old son had gotten a gun and shot Jenesis in the head. She was rushed to the hospital but did not survive.
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"Why did this 11-year-old child have a gun? What kind of responsible adult takes your child into her home, pledges to keep her safe and then lets something like this happen? How many more children have to die until our leaders and the gun manufacturers start taking safety seriously?" attorney Harry Daniels said. "As a parent, these are the kinds of questions that keep me up at night and, after this, I'd be surprised if any parent could sleep."
Daniels is working on the case for the Dockery family.
Cumberland County Sheriff's Office is in charge of the investigation. However, it has released few details to the public in the case.
"Fon and Kimberly Dockery have gotten lots of condolences and excuses. But after more than two weeks, they haven't gotten any answers," Daniels said. "That has to change and, if we have anything to say about it, it will."
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This story is one that's all too common across the United States and in North Carolina. Data shows that in the last 8 years there have been 49 accidental gunshots involving children; 19 of them resulted in deaths.
No charges have been filed in this case. ABC11 reached out to the babysitter but did not hear back.
A friend of the babysitter told ABC11 they believe this whole thing was a tragic accident and the babysitter has been advised not to speak about what happened with the media.
