Two children were killed after an apparent hostage situation at an apartment complex in Mississippi turned deadly on Monday, authorities said.
Marquez Griffin, 25, was arrested after a police standoff in Jonestown, during which he allegedly shot two children dead, identified as a 1-year-old girl and 9-year-old boy, and held a third child at gunpoint, according to a press release from the Coahoma County Sheriff’s Office.
An off-duty sheriff’s deputy who lives in the area responded to the scene around 2 a.m. after hearing a call about a child who had been shot, authorities said.
There, police said they learned that a man had allegedly been holding a child at gunpoint.
At some point, police were able to convince the suspect to drop his weapon. They got the child to safety before the suspect was taken into custody, the sheriff’s office said.
It was only after Griffin was arrested that deputies discovered two children suffering from gunshot wounds inside the home, according to police.
One of the victims was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other was taken to a hospital, where the child later died, authorities said.
Police have not specified the relationship between the children or released their names.
Meanwhile, a family member identified the 1-year-old girl who died in the hospital as Averi Jones, according to WREG.
“I just want everyone to know that Averi Baby was a sweet baby. She didn’t deserve this,” the girl’s grandmother, Melrose Haile, reportedly said. “Her mom told me she was asleep and he put a pillow over her head and shot her in her head.”
She also said Griffin is a “friend” of Averi’s mother, and expressed shock at his alleged involvement in the incident.
“She told me they were friends and how could a friend do this to you?” Haile told the outlet.
Griffin had recently moved back to the area from Arlington, Texas, according to the sheriff’s office, which has yet to reveal a possible motive for the violence.
He is being held at the Coahoma County Adult Detention Center on charges of murder and aggravated assault, officials said.
It is not immediately clear if Griffin has entered a plea or retained an attorney who can speak on his behalf.
Source: People.com