A 14-year-old boy with ties to 21 Savage accidentally sh0.t and injured his younger sister; fearing imprisonment, he took his own life immediately afterward
STOCKBRIDGE, Ga. — The family of 14-year-old Seven Shirley is mourning what they describe as an unimaginable tragedy after they say he died by suicide following the accidental shooting of his sister at a Stockbridge home.
According to the family, Seven accidentally shot his sister, Lyric, in the neck Wednesday afternoon before taking his own life.
“Just that fast that boy had made the decision to kill himself,” said Seven’s grandmother, Sharon Smith. “He probably sat up there and thought, ‘I’m finna go to jail, they’re going to ridicule me, everybody is going to be doing this and that and this, and this and that, and he couldn’t take it.'”
Smith said she has raised Seven since he was 11 months old.
“His grandmama, there wasn’t nothing in this world he wouldn’t do for me,” Smith said. “He would say, ‘Grandmama sit down in this chair right here,’ and he would push me wherever. I’d be so glad because I’d be hurting so bad. He’d push me wherever I wanted to go.”
While the family continues to grieve, Smith says one question continues to weigh heavily on them: How did Seven get the gun?
When 11Alive’s Chase Houle asked what Seven was doing with the firearm, Smith said the family doesn’t know.
“We don’t know. We don’t know,” Smith said. “Something needs to be done about that person who sold that gun because if he would have never bought that gun, this would have never happened.”
The tragedy comes just weeks after another devastating loss for the family.
Smith said Seven’s cousin was 13-year-old DeMarcus Shirley, who was killed in a drive-by shooting while staying overnight with friends in DeKalb County earlier this month.
The family says Lyric has undergone three surgeries on her neck and vocal cords. They say they do not yet know when she will be able to return home.
Credit: 21Savage Instagram
21Savage, who is described as an uncle to Seven, posted this picture to his Instagram above.
Family sent 11Alive’s Chase Houle the following statement:
“As we prepare for the homegoing celebration for my beloved nephew, Seven, I respectfully ask everyone to please honor our family’s privacy during this incredibly difficult time.
Please continue to keep my niece, Lyric, in your prayers. She is fighting for her life, and we are believing God for her healing, strength, and complete recovery.
As our family grieves, we are asking our community to stand with us in another way. Please help us get these guns off our streets. Far too many young lives are being taken by senseless gun violence. We must work together to stop the illegal sale and access of firearms to minors and do everything we can to protect our children.
Our family has lost one child, and another is fighting for her life. No family should ever have to experience this kind of pain.
We ask that you continue to pray for our entire family, respect our privacy as we navigate the days ahead, and join us in the fight to make our communities safer for all of our children.”
SOURCE: 11 ALIVE
https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/21-savage-nephew-accidentally-shoots-sister-then-takes-his-own-life/85-ad92b715-d3d9-4aab-a978-edc00a54881e
