Tragic incident unfolded in a Foothill Farms neighborhood, approximately 16 miles northeast of Sacramento, as a California mother, Brittani Frierson, recounts the heart-wrenching loss of her 10-year-old son, Keith “KJ” Frierson. The unfolding events transpired when the young boy, elated by a Christmas gift, expressed a desire to race his new bicycle against peers in the area.
According to Ms. Frierson’s account to NBC News, she granted her son permission to join the impromptu bicycle race. However, approximately 15 minutes later, tragedy struck as KJ fell victim to a fatal gunshot wound. Distressed neighbors urgently alerted Ms. Frierson to the dire situation, with the news resonating through her apartment.
Heartbroken, Ms. Frierson vividly recalls the devastating scene, expressing, “I screamed for hours after I saw my child on that ground. Because I could just see that he had no chance. I just knew that my child was gone.”
The shocking turn of events reveals that the alleged shooter, a 10-year-old whose identity remains undisclosed due to age, reportedly unleashed gunfire in a fit of anger following his defeat in the bicycle race. The details provided by Ms. Frierson are based on an account from another child in the neighborhood who witnessed the incident.
In a troubling twist, the 10-year-old suspect and KJ were said to be friends who frequently played together. The young suspect now faces charges of murder, while his father, 53-year-old Arkete Davis, is charged with suspicion of possession of a firearm by a felon, criminal storage of a firearm, carrying a stolen loaded firearm in a vehicle, child endangerment, and acting as an accessory to a crime after the fact.
Investigators believe the child obtained the loaded firearm from his father’s vehicle while tasked with fetching cigarettes. Notably, officials assert that the firearm had been stolen, and after the shooting, Davis attempted to conceal it in a nearby trash can before seeking refuge in a nearby apartment.
With Davis in custody at Sacramento County Main Jail, his bond set at $500,000, the community mourns the loss of a bright and generous soul in KJ. Describing her son as smart, friendly, inquisitive, and always willing to help others, Ms. Frierson’s grief is shared by KJ’s Sacramento Youth Football team Jr. Football Mustangs coach and teammates. A poignant vigil held in his honor saw the community expressing condolences, with the team stating on Facebook, “We lost a fellow Jr. Mustang Saturday evening to the hands of gun violence. Coaches and staff are speechless right now. We pray for strength for his mother and brother.”
