An eight-year-old girl died after her babysitter’s 11-year-old son shot her in the head with a gun stolen from a relative’s safe.
Jenesis Dockery was killed on July 23 in Fayetteville, North Carolina, an hour after her father dropped her off at the nanny’s house with her five-year-old sister.
The babysitter’s youngster is accused of getting his hands on a gun and shooting her in the head. She was taken to the hospital, but she died two days later.
Jenesis has been described as a lively young lady who ‘liked everyone’ and enjoyed producing dancing videos. Her family is distraught about her death and is fighting for justice.
According to ABC 11, the boy is currently in detention, and detectives believe there is enough evidence to prosecute him with manslaughter.
Jenesis’ father, Fon Dockery, stated that her life was cut short when he put her and her younger sister off at the home of a babysitter who had previously looked after them.
He found out she had been shot about an hour later, and she died two days later in the hospital.
‘The life of my daughter was sadly taken,’ he told WNCN. ‘It broke my heart to think I’d be in a position where I’d have to console my youngest daughter.’
‘Losing a kid is a different type of anguish,’ her mother, Kimberly Dockery, said.
‘Of course, until they’ve lost a child, no one understands. It’s a hurt you can’t even put into words.’
Jenesis was characterized by Fon as a child who “just loved everybody.” ‘She wanted to dance and just experience life, guy,’ he remarked. She enjoyed creating TikTok videos.’
Her parents got tattoos in her honor and said her death has left them with a ‘immeasurable’ void.
‘It’s been a dreadful nightmare, and it still doesn’t feel real,’ Fon said at a news conference on Thursday.
‘It’s difficult to put into words how we’re navigating three weeks later to get something done.’
The family is advocating for justice for Jenesis as well as raising awareness about gun violence.
‘We wore orange pins on the day we buried our daughter — to raise awareness about gun violence,’ her father said.
‘Because, as much as we want justice for our daughter, no parent should ever have to go through this.
‘We applaud the community and urge that you continue to support and reach out until the full force of the law is exacted with justice for our Jenesis.
According to the family’s attorney, the babysitter’s 11-year-old son is suspected of shooting the small daughter.
On Thursday, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit sent paperwork to the Division of Juvenile Justice requesting that the little child be charged with homicide and two counts of larceny of a firearm.
Detectives are also attempting to obtain a secured custody order for him.
A representative for the state’s Department of Juvenile Justice said the department could not comment on specific instances.
‘However, when making judgments about secure custody, employees with the Division of Child Justice and Delinquency Prevention take any information addressing whether a child poses a threat to public safety extremely seriously and respond accordingly,’ the spokesman added.
‘DJJDP’s role is to consider the potential risk to public safety, the individualized needs of the juvenile and their risk of re-offending when making decisions about how to best address delinquency.’
Lawyer Harry Daniels wants individuals who gave the child access to guns to face consequences.
‘If they had been more vigilant and paid attention to the 11-year-old, they would have realized that kid had a fantasy about owning guns and posting them on social media,’ he said.
Daniels alleged there were numerous messages on social media indicating the 11-year-old had access to firearms.
He said that two of the firearms in the case were stolen from a relative’s safe.
Investigators are awaiting the results of an autopsy and other evidence before deciding whether to pursue charges.
Jenesis’ burial was held on Wednesday, and a GoFundMe fundraising page has generated more than $23,000 for her family.
