Everett Deaver, a 7-year-old boy, was fatally shot on July 7, 2026, inside a home in northern Pulaski County near Jacksonville, Arkansas. At approximately 6:06 p.m., Pulaski County sheriff’s deputies were called to the 24000 block of Highway 107 following a report of a shooting. They arrived to find Everett suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. His mother later said the bullet struck him in the stomach.
Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services transported him to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Investigators determined that the shooting occurred after another child in the home gained access to a loaded revolver and accidentally discharged it, striking Everett. Authorities alleged that the firearm had been left unattended and accessible to children. Everett’s mother, Sydni McGraw, said his father had recently returned home from work, put away his belongings and gone outside to speak with a neighbor. She said a younger child apparently climbed up to where the gun had been placed and retrieved it. Three children were reportedly endangered by the unsecured firearm.
The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office arrested Everett’s father, 31-year-old Michael Deaver, following the investigation. He was charged with one count of manslaughter and three counts of first-degree endangering the welfare of a minor. The charges accuse him of recklessly causing Everett’s death and placing the children in danger by leaving a loaded firearm where they could reach it. Authorities characterized the shooting itself as accidental rather than an intentional act by the child who fired the weapon.
Michael Deaver appeared in Pulaski County court and pleaded not guilty to all four charges. He was subsequently released on bond while the criminal case remained pending. No trial or conviction had been reported, and the sheriff’s office continued investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
Everett was a student at Bayou Meto Elementary School in the Jacksonville North Pulaski School District. District officials described him as a cherished member of their school community and announced that counselors and support personnel would be available to help students and employees cope with his death. His mother remembered him as an energetic, adventurous “little firecracker” who loved exploring, climbing fences and bringing stray cats home. She said he possessed an outsized personality and an abundance of life and love despite his small stature.
