JACKSONVILLE, Ark. (KATV) — The Jacksonville Police Department has identified the suspect in Sunday night’s deadly shooting of a 6-year-old boy.
Jacksonville Police investigating fatal shooting of 6-year-old boy
21-year-old Artavius Dontal Johnson of Little Rock was identified as a suspect in Sunday evening’s shooting that has shocked the Jacksonville community.
Reverend Benny Johnson of Arkansas Stop the Violence told Channel 7 News for “whoever did this, turn yourself in, because you’re a monster and you’re going and killing innocent babies.”
Around 7:30 Sunday evening, Jacksonville Police responded to reports of shots fired in the area of South Highway 161.
According to Captain Ryan Wright with Jacksonville PD, the shooting occurred in the 2000 block of Cloverdale Road. By the time officers arrived on scene, they found a 6-year-old boy suffering from a gunshot wound.
The boy would later die at an area hospital.
Now, police are looking for Artavius Johnson, who was last seen in a 2012 Hyundai Elantra, which was first spotted on a security camera of a pavilion located in The Meadows neighborhood, just a few hundred yards away from where the shooting took place.
911 dispatch audio from the night of the shooting shed more light on the description of the vehicle, and potential suspects.
“BOLO for a white passenger car with paint peeling on the rear end, possibly a Honda Civic or a Hyundai Elantra. Occupied by three black males, one subject wearing green pants was involved in a shooting in the area of Highway 161 and Cloverdale,” said the dispatcher.
Now, the community is calling for those responsible to step forward, including Pastor Walter Crockran, who is the director of Arkansas Stop the Violence.
“How can you live with yourself, knowing that you shot an innocent child? A baby, who hasn’t even lived life.”
“If anyone knows anything about this, you’re just as guilty as the person who pulled the trigger,” Crockran adds.
Both Reverend Johnson and Pastor Crockran say they are tired of seeing families who have been torn apart due to gun violence.
“I have buried many homicide victims, it just hurts my heart to see the parents broken…they don’t know what they’re doing, they’re devastating families,” says Johnson.
“The only thing they can do is really try to hold on to memories of their baby because like I said, it’s really hard. And really look to God for strength,” states Crockran.
The Jacksonville-North Pulaski School District put out a statement on Monday, confirming that the 6-year-old victim was a kindergartner at one of the district’s elementaries.
Artavius Johnson is considered armed and dangerous by Jacksonville PD. They urge anyone who comes into contact with him to call the Jacksonville Police Department at this number: (501) 985-2802.
According to Reverend Johnson, there will be an Arkansas Stop the Violence press conference that will be held at the Jacksonville Police Department at 3:15 pm on Wednesday.
There will also be a community vigil to honor the victim on Saturday at the Jacksonville Community Center.