FATHER PLEADS GUILTY IN DEATH OF SON SHOT WITH UNATTENDED FIREARM

Friday, September 19, 2025

State v. Dante Lamar Daugherty

Decatur, Ga.- DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announces a conviction by guilty plea in the 2023 death of a child who was shot with his father's unattended firearm.

On Thursday, September 18, 2025, Dante Lamar Daugherty, 44, pleaded guilty to Murder in the Second Degree, and two counts of Cruelty to Children in the Second Degree in connection with the death of his son, Z'ayre Daugherty, 7, on September 4, 2023.

According to the investigation, officers with the DeKalb County Police Department (DKPD) responded around 6:10 p.m. to a call of a person shot at a gas station in the 1800 block of Rock Chapel Road in Lithonia. Officers found Defendant Daugherty in the back seat of an SUV holding his son, Z'ayre, who had a gunshot wound to the head. EMS responded and pronounced the boy deceased at the scene.

Officers located Defendant Daugherty's gun and a shell casing in the vehicle. Daugherty and his 5-year-old son, who was also in the car at the time of the incident, were transported to DKPD Headquarters, where Daugherty agreed to provide a statement.

Defendant Daugherty shared that when he arrived at the gas station, he parked at a pump and exited the vehicle with his two sons. He noticed that Z'ayre was missing a sock and shoe, so he instructed the two boys to get back into the car and wait for him in the back seat. Daugherty took his gun off of his waist band, wrapped it in a cloth, and placed it under the driver's seat before heading into the gas station.

While inside, Defendant Daugherty noticed one of the rear doors open on the SUV and returned to find that Z'ayre had been shot. He was unsure if Z'ayre had shot himself or had been shot by his brother. The brother was unable to tell investigators what exactly had happened.

Surveillance video from the gas station showed the two brothers get into the back seat of the SUV before Daugherty walked away. It also captured movement in the back seat before a flash of gunfire.

DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Courtney L. Johnson, who presided over the plea hearing, accepted the non-negotiated plea and sentenced Defendant Daugherty to 10 years to serve 2 in custody, with the remainder on probation. The State had recommended a sentence of 10 years to serve 5 years in custody.

The case, assigned to the Child Crimes Unit, was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Hannah Pendergast, with assistance from Senior Assistant District Attorney Rachel Plevack, District Attorney Investigator Haley Hines, and Victim Advocate Jenaiya Coleman. DeKalb County Police Department Detective C. Williams led the initial investigation.

The DeKalb County District Attorney's Office encourages members of the community to safely store firearms when they are not in use. Visit https://www.dekalbda.org/gun_safety/index.phpfor information on firearm safety.