In the early hours of Easter Sunday, a 3-year-old boy named Armani Lyons was at his babysitter's apartment in southwest Atlanta while his parent was at work. Shortly after midnight on April 5, 2026, the quiet of the night on Washington Street SW was shattered by a gunshot. First responders were dispatched to the scene, where they found young Armani with a gunshot wound. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, but tragically, he was pronounced dead.
The child, who was just a month shy of his fourth birthday, was described by his grieving family as a bright light who was full of life, joy, and innocence.
The senseless act of violence prompted an investigation by the Atlanta Police Department. Neighbors at the apartment complex expressed their fear and sorrow over the incident that had claimed such a young life. In the week that followed Armani's death, homicide investigators worked to piece together the events of that morning. Their efforts led them to identify two individuals connected to the fatal shooting. Police announced they had secured arrest warrants for 71-year-old Barbara Edwards and 35-year-old Jermaine Hardeman.
Both Edwards and Hardeman were charged with felony murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and second-degree cruelty to children. Barbara Edwards, who was reportedly Armani's babysitter on the night he was killed, was taken into custody by Atlanta police officers. Body camera footage was released showing her arrest. Authorities also began a search for Jermaine Hardeman, who faced the same serious charges. Investigators noted that both individuals allegedly lied to police during the initial phases of the investigation into what exactly happened inside the apartment that night.
