GBI Arrests Teen Suspect in Connection to Death of 11-Year-Old, Two Others Sought

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) has arrested and charged Osman Sesay Jr., an 18-year-old from Hiram, in connection to the death of Zander Whatley, an 11-year-old from Douglasville, GA. The Paulding County Sheriff’s Office requested GBI’s involvement on April 29, 2024.

According to the investigation, on April 29, 2024, around 11:00 p.m., deputies from the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office responded to Ruth Way following reports of multiple gunshots. Whatley was struck by a bullet and was rushed to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

On May 11, 2024, Sesay was apprehended after a traffic stop and is currently held in North Carolina awaiting extradition back to Georgia. The investigation remains active and ongoing. Police have also issued murder warrants for the arrest of Al-Hamid Ibrahim Kuyateh and Nazier Lloyd Anderson in connection to Whatley’s death.