6-year-old’s shooting death at apartments a ‘horrible tragedy,’ police chief says

The bullet that killed a 6-year-old Fort Valley boy Monday night left his community hurting, as well.

“This is a horrible tragedy and we grieve along with the entire Fort Valley Community,” Public Safety Chief Lawrence Spurgeon wrote on Facebook Tuesday morning.

Just before 8 p.m. Monday, officers were called to Indian Oaks Apartments at 1103 East Church Street after a report of an accidental shooting, a news release stated.

Spurgeon identified the victim as Fiya Hollis, a kindergartener at Hunt Elementary School.

“Our sincere condolences go out to his family and friends in their time of grief,” Spurgeon posted on the department’s Facebook page.

Hollis was taken to Peach County Hospital, Navicent Health, where he was pronounced dead.

The gun the child was shot with belonged to his mother, who had it for protection, according to police. Two siblings were in the apartment at the time of the shooting, though not in the same room, police said.

The Fort Valley Department of Public Safety roped off the crime scene to protect evidence as the GBI was called to investigate the shooting.

The Department of Family and Children Services also is investigating, which is protocol in child deaths, the release stated.

Overnight, detectives have been interviewing the boy’s relatives and others with information about the shooting.

At the conclusion of the investigation, evidence will be turned over to the district attorney to determine whether charges will be filed.

In January of 2015, Jai’mel Anderson was killed in a shooting at the same apartment complex, located at 1103 East Church Street.

Come back to macon.com for updates and read Wednesday’s Telegraph.

This story was originally published February 7, 2017 at 7:31 AM with the headline "6-year-old’s shooting death at apartments a ‘horrible tragedy,’ police chief says."