The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office is asking that a manslaughter charge be filed against a juvenile in connection with the July 27 shooting death of an 8-year-old girl.
Jenesis Dockery died after suffering a gunshot wound in the 3300 block of Mercedes Drive in Fayetteville, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The shooting was reported about 3:30 p.m. July 27, according to a news release.
Jenesis was taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center for treatment and later pronounced dead, according to a news release.
On Thursday, the Sheriff’s Office’s Special Victims Unit submitted a complaint to the Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention of the N.C. Department of Public Safety alleging that two counts of larceny of a firearm and a charge of manslaughter were warranted in the case.
Detectives petitioned for a secured custody order for the juvenile accused in the shooting, the release said.
North Carolina law prevents information about juvenile suspects from being released to the public.
“We appreciate the interest in the case and the support the Dockery family received from the community as our detectives worked tirelessly and diligently to investigate this case carefully and thoroughly,” the Sheriff’s Office said in its news release.
The Cumberland County Department of Social Services, Child Advocacy Center, and Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office provided resources to support the investigation.
Anyone with information about the investigation should contact Special Victims Detective S. Odenwelder at 910-677-5477 or CrimeStoppers at 910-483-TIPS (8477) or http://fay-nccrimestoppers.org.