PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. — The Paulding County Sheriff’s Office has announced the arrests of five men in connection to the fatal shooting of an 11-year-old boy.
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Zander Whatley of Douglasville was shot and killed the night of April 29, 2024, in his home when someone opened fire on the house on Ruth Way.
The investigation led to the arrest of the following suspects: Nazier Anderson, 20, Al-Hamid Kuyateh, 20, Osman Sesay Jr., 19, and Modou Stephenson, 20.
Anderson turned himself in at the sheriff’s office in May 2024. Sesay was found and arrested in Charlotte, N.C. on May 11, 2024, after a traffic stop.
Recently, a fifth suspect, Joseph Tarawalie, 22, was arrested.
On Feb. 13, the US Marshals found Tarawalie, hiding in Arlington, Va. He was extradited to Paulding County on Saturday.
All five suspects are charged with murder. Tarawalie is being held without bond.
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Whatley’s father told Channel 2′s Audrey Washington that on the night of the shooting, a group of teenagers who had a problem with one of his other children pulled up to the house and opened fire.
“He was a great little kid, man,” his father said. “Something that happened to someone that shouldn’t have even happened.”
“The Paulding County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to ensuring justice for Zander Whatley and his family. We extend our deepest condolences to the family and express our gratitude to the GBI and the U.S. Marshal Fugitive Task Force for their invaluable assistance in this case,” the sheriff’s office said.
Anyone who has additional information is asked to call the PCSO’s tip line at 770-443-3047 or send a message via the PCSO mobile app.
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