A Gastonia teen, Sean Simpson, 16, was arrested and charged in connection with the shooting death of 16-year-old Zaquavious Dawkins, police say. Simpson is charged with first-degree murder and is facing another charge of attempted murder.
On Jan. 26, Dawkins and another friend had been walking along South Chester Street near Los Arcos when the defendant fired several shots and fatally struck the victim three times in the back before firing at his friend, who was injured and survived the ordeal.
According to family members, the victim had been caring for his ailing mother, who had lost her leg. Dawkins was reported to have been running an errand for his mother when the fatal incident occurred. Furthermore, Simpson was a known entity to the victim’s family members. The defendant had harassed and threatened Dawkins in school previously.
The motive for the killing remains unclear.
“Just his smile. Just to look at him and he’s smiling and he was one of the happiest kids in the world. He didn’t deserve to be shot down like that. He wasn’t that type of kid. I just want to know why. What made you want to do that,” said the victim’s grandmother, Eveleana Dawkins, reported WCCB Charlotte.
Both boys attended Ashbrook High School, where Dawkins played football.
Simpson was denied a bail bond during his arraignment, and then the defendant started sobbing and collapsed.
The defendant is being charged as an adult under the new state law, which makes exceptions in violent cases such as Dawkins’ homicide.
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