In what should have been the safety of his own home, 12-year-old Cameron Coney was fatally shot in his bedroom in Atlanta, Georgia. A student at Crawford Long Middle School, Cameron was known affectionately as "Big Cam" by his loved ones. He was remembered as a silly and playful boy with a love for football, who enjoyed wrestling with his sisters and making people laugh.
His family described him as a child who didn't care about having on dirty clothes because, in his eyes, he was always the freshest in the room.
On the afternoon of April 11, 2026, Cameron was hanging out with friends in his bedroom. His mother was also in the house at the time. One of the friends, a 14-year-old boy, had brought a gun with him. According to Cameron's family, the teenager pointed the weapon at each of the friends in the room. When he reached Cameron, he pressed the gun to his chest and fired. Cameron's mother immediately called 911. The young boy was rushed to the hospital in critical condition but was ultimately pronounced dead.
In the wake of the tragic event, the Atlanta Police Department began an investigation. They questioned the juveniles and adults who were present inside the home during the shooting. The day after the incident, authorities arrested the 14-year-old who was allegedly responsible for the shooting. His name has not been publicly released due to his age, but he has been charged with murder and is being held at a youth detention center.
The community mourned the loss of the young boy, with over 100 people gathering for a vigil at a park near his home. Family and friends released balloons and shared memories of Cameron, a boy who was the third of four children and just a year away from his last year of middle school. His family, while grieving, expressed their hope that his name will live on and that they will receive justice for his death. They do not believe the shooting was an accident. An online fundraiser was started to help with funeral expenses.
