4 year old struck by stray bullet in church dies

A four-year-old boy who was struck by a stray bullet in his church in Decatur, GA has died of his injuries.

Marquel Peters was hit by a gunshot that came in through the roof of the church. His mother described the incident:

“I heard a little sound like a ‘pink.’ I heard him scream a little bit, so I looked around to hand him the game and that’s when I saw the blood,” she said. “I tried to pick him up and then, he was losing consciousness and he was just breaking and going down. It was so hard.”

The boy’s injuries were originally thought to be due to a piece of debris or other matter from the roof, but an autopsy later revealed the presence of a bullet in the child’s head. Marquel’s mother Nathalee Peters remains in shock over the sudden loss of her child and hopes the person responsible for her son’s death will come forward:

“It’s hard. He was my only child. He was only 4. He was a smart little boy, he was so sweet,” said his mother, Nathalee Peters.

The incident occurred around midnight on Friday at the Covington Drive Church Of God of Prophecy in Decatur.