Seven-year-old Kennedy McKall Maxie was Christmas shopping with her mother and aunt in the bustling Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta on December 21, 2020. As they drove past Phipps Plaza in their vehicle, a sense of holiday cheer was shattered by the sound of gunshots. In the back seat, Kennedy was struck by a stray bullet. Her aunt, who was driving, rushed her to a nearby hospital where she was listed in critical condition.
Tragically, the young girl succumbed to her injuries and passed away on Christmas Day.
Investigators quickly determined that the shooting was not a random act of violence directed at the family. They believe an argument had broken out between a group of men in the parking lot of Saks Fifth Avenue. Following this dispute, one of the men, later identified as 24-year-old Daquan Reed, allegedly left the scene in a vehicle and fired multiple shots in a fit of rage. One of those bullets pierced the car Kennedy was riding in, leading to the fatal injury.
Atlanta police identified Daquan Reed, a Virginia native, as the primary suspect in Kennedy's death. A manhunt was initiated, and a reward was offered for information leading to his capture. On January 6, 2021, U.S. Marshals located and arrested Reed in Hampton, Virginia. He was subsequently extradited back to Atlanta to face a series of charges, including felony murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, and reckless conduct.
The trial for Daquan Reed commenced in August 2022. Prosecutors argued that Reed, enraged after being robbed of his phone and money outside of Phipps Plaza, irresponsibly fired his weapon, leading to the death of the young girl. On August 18, 2022, a Fulton County jury found Daquan Reed guilty on all counts, including murder. He was later sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. During the sentencing, Kennedy's family gave emotional victim impact statements, speaking of their profound and unimaginable pain.
