BLECKLEY COUNTY, Ga. — The Bleckley County Sheriff’s Office says the three men arrested in connection to killing a Bleckley County 2-year-old and injuring his 4-year-old brother know the boys’ father, Luther Satterwhite.
Deputies arrested 23-year-old Dahmon Lemmon on murder and two counts of aggravated assault among other charges. 29-year-old Jaquiese Finley and 20-year-old Kamau Pasby were charged with being a party to the crimes.
Major Daniel Cape says the motive in the shooting was likely “payback.”
Three men arrested in connection to shooting of Bleckley County children
The bullets didn't hit the intended target. Instead, it took the life of 2-year-old Yasir Satterwhite and injured his four-year-old brother Tamir while they were sleeping in the back bedroom of their apartment.
“The boys were completely innocent in this,” Cape said about the Satterwhite brothers.
Cape says the three suspects knew Satterwhite “in some way, shape, form or fashion. Not to say they were close friends or anything like that, but they knew him.”
Investigators say they believe all three men knew of Satterwhite’s two boys--Yasir and Tamir.
“Do you think they knew they were in the apartment,” 13 WMAZ’s Ashlyn Webb asked. “That I can’t say at this time,” Cape said.
Cape says the shooting at Deer Run was targeted at the Satterwhites' apartment, but the intended targets were not the two boys. He says it may have been in retaliation to a shooting over the July 4th weekend in the city of Cochran.
“I can’t say anyone was directly involved in it. I don’t have direct evidence linking anyone to that,” Cape said.
However, on July 18, Satterwhite told 13WMAZ he believed he was the target.
“Of course, it wasn’t targeted at a 2-year-old and a four-year-old. Common sense was that it wasn’t meant for them,” Satterwhite said. “I also said, 'Why not me?' Since it was meant for me.”
13WMAZ asked Major Cape what investigators say in response to Satterwhite stating he was the likely target.
“Basically, the investigation has led us to believe that as well. We don’t have a statement saying that, but the investigation has led us to believe that,” Cape said.
Regardless, Major Cape says he hopes others can learn from this to avoid another tragedy.
“We hope someone who may be thinking they’re irritated or have some kind of retaliation against someone… if that was the case here… or if they thought about pulling a trigger but not intending to kill anyone… that they take this into consideration,” Cape said.
In the previous shooting in July, Cape says shots were fired but no one was injured. Cochran Police say there’s been no arrests. They would not release where the shooting happened in the city.
Cochran Police would not say whether Satterwhite was connected to the July 4 shooting but said he is not a suspect at this time.
Meanwhile, Cape says 4-year-old Tamir is back home recovering after he was shot in the lower abdomen.