GBI: 13-Year-Old Charged with Murder in Fatal Shooting of 8-Year-Old Boy; Woman Also Arrested

A 13-year-old has been charged with felony murder and aggravated assault in connection to the fatal shooting of an 8-year-old boy in Bainbridge. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation also arrested 49-year-old Knisha Perkins of Bainbridge on three counts of second-degree cruelty to children and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

On Friday, July 11, 2025, at approximately 11:40 p.m., the GBI was called by the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office to assist with a death investigation at a home in the 3000 block of Vada Road.

Investigators determined that a 13-year-old relative of the victim shot the child with a firearm found inside the home. No adults were present at the time of the shooting. A 1-year-old child was also in the residence but was not harmed.

Sheriff’s deputies arrived after a 911 call and found the 8-year-old deceased from gunshot injuries. The child’s body was transported to the GBI Crime Lab for autopsy.

Both Perkins and the 13-year-old were arrested on July 15. Perkins was booked into the Decatur County Jail, while the 13-year-old was placed in the Decatur County Youth Detention Center.

The case is active and ongoing.