HICKORY, N.C. — Police in Hickory, North Carolina have identified a suspect accused of fatally shooting a 7-year-old boy Tuesday night in a possible road-rage incident.
Authorities on Friday announced a first-degree murder charge against Douglas Mason Wilson, 23, Fox News reported.
“There are still a lot of answers that need to be gathered and a lot of work that needs to be done,” Hickory Police Chief Thurman Whisnant said during a Friday press conference announcing the charges. He did not field questions from reporters due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.
A Hickory officer was responding to reports of gunfire on Tuesday and discovered 7-year-old Kakylen Greylen Harris with “an apparent gunshot wound to the neck area” after the suspect allegedly shot at his mother’s car from another vehicle, Whisnant said during a Wednesday press conference.
Kakylen Greylen Harris, 7, was shot in the back seat of his mother’s car. (Hickory Police Department)
The boys’ siblings, ages 1 and 6, were also in the mother’s vehicle during the shooting.
Harris was transported to Catawba Valley Medical Center and later pronounced dead, Fox reported.
Harris’ mother described a blonde, white female riding in the passenger seat of Wilson’s car. The woman yelled at Harris’ mother before shots were fired. It is unclear whether any other passengers were in Wilson’s vehicle, police said Wednesday.
“Preliminary belief is that it’s a random act of violence. These individuals did not know each other,” Hickory Police Capt. Jeff Young said.
