In the early morning hours of a late December day in Atlanta, the life of 15-year-old Xziria Terrell was tragically cut short. On that Monday, at approximately 3:30 a.m., violence erupted inside a home on Washington Street in the Peoplestown neighborhood. Responding to the scene, police discovered the young female had sustained a fatal gunshot wound to her shoulder.
She was pronounced dead at the residence.
The incident that claimed Xziria's life also left another individual, Orlando Simalton, wounded. He was found nearby on Haygood Street suffering from four gunshot wounds to his chest and leg. Simalton was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital for treatment and was reported to be in stable condition. The events of that morning were set into motion by what investigators believe was an argument between the alleged shooter and Simalton.
In the wake of the shooting, a 17-year-old male named Kedrick Butler, who was present at the scene, was initially detained by police in connection with a separate incident involving shots being fired into a home on the same street. For this, he was arrested and charged with reckless conduct. However, as the investigation into the double shooting progressed, authorities connected Butler to the death of Xziria Terrell and the wounding of Orlando Simalton.
On New Year's Eve, just days after the fatal shooting, investigators secured warrants for Butler's arrest on charges of murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. It was alleged that an argument between Butler and Simalton escalated, leading to the gunfire that had a fatal outcome for the teenage girl. In addition to the charges related to the shooting, jail records indicated that Butler also faced charges of theft by receiving and obstruction from an unrelated incident that occurred months prior. Following his arrest, Kedrick Butler was held in the Fulton County Jail without bond.
