Three Convicted in Gang-Related Drive-By Killing of 3-Year-Old Boy in Athens

ATHENS, Ga. – Three members of a local gang have been convicted in the 2024 drive-by shooting that killed a 3-year-old boy as he sat on a couch inside his home in Athens, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr announced Wednesday.

Desmontrez Mathis, Jayden Brown, and Dakious Echols were convicted for the murder of Kyron Santino Zarco Smith, who was fatally shot on March 8, 2024, while watching television at Hallmark Mobile Home Park. A 9-year-old boy was also struck by gunfire during the shooting and was treated at a local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

Prosecutors said the three defendants, members of a gang known as Everybody Eats (EBE), drove to the mobile home park to target a rival gang in an effort to increase their standing within EBE. Gunfire erupted during the drive-by, killing Kyron inside his home.

Brown and Echols entered guilty pleas on Jan. 8, 2026, and were each sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole, plus five additional years in prison followed by 20 years of strict probation. Mathis was found guilty by an Athens-Clarke County jury on Feb. 4, 2026, on all charges brought against him. His sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.

“While nothing can bring Kyron back, we hope this outcome provides his family with some sense of peace and the justice they deserve,” Carr said, calling the shooting senseless and underscoring the state’s continued focus on prosecuting gang violence.

Jerry Saulters praised the work of investigators and prosecutors, saying the convictions send a clear message that violent crime will not be tolerated in the community. The Athens-Clarke County Police Department led the local investigation.

Chris Hosey said the case highlights the devastating impact of gang violence on innocent families, while Federal Bureau of Investigation officials said the convictions reflect strong collaboration among state and federal partners.

The case was investigated by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, FBI Atlanta and its Middle Georgia Safe Streets Gang Task Force, and the Georgia Attorney General’s Gang Prosecution Unit. It was prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Thomas Kegley and Ryan Piechocinski.

A fourth defendant, Julian Cubillos, remains charged, and that case is ongoing.