A devastated mother has spoken out following the death of her five-year-old son, who was shot dead in a drive-by shooting.
The shooting happened Thursday in Winston Hills, Ohio, a small suburb of Cincinnati.
It saw Artagist Stanford III’s life snuffed out by a stray bullet, which hit him as he slept in a room he shared with his younger brother.
The projectile came within inches of his sibling, his mother Terrie Fahey said. Police said they still have not identified a suspect and the case is being treated as a homicide.
Artagist – better known as Arty – succumbed to his injuries two days later, his mother revealed later that same day.
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The shooting happened Thursday in Winston Hills, Ohio, a small suburb of Cincinnati, and saw the life of Artagist Stanford III snuffed out by a stray bullet. The boy, better known as Arty, can be seen here
His mother, Terrie Fahey, spoke to multiple news sources on Saturday to reveal how the boy had died after two days in the hospital
“Whoever did it, I hope they feel really bad and sick of themselves for doing this,” Fahey said WLWT-5 through a steady stream of tears Saturday.
“It has to stop,” she added, citing current crime rates.
“It really needs to stop because innocent children are being murdered for no reason and losing their lives before they can even live it.
“They killed an innocent five-year-old boy who was going to be something in life,” she continued.
“And there was no reason for that.”
As she spoke, donations began to trickle in GoFundMe started earlier today – currently at $2,070.
However, the number falls far short of the family’s goal of $20,000.
The money, Fahey said, will be used to help the boy rest and care for her other two children, a three-year-old boy and a one-year-old girl.
“Whoever did it, I hope they feel really bad and sick for doing this,” Fahey told WLWT-5 on Saturday through a steady stream of tears.
“They killed an innocent five-year-old boy who was going to be something in life,” she continued. “And there was no reason for that.”
Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge said her department has not yet identified any suspects and remains unaware of the motive.
The devastated mother told the local newspaper how she was grateful her other son did not suffer the same fate as her brother, who was rushed to the emergency room at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where he ultimately died.
“I thank God that my youngest son was not hit by the bullet,” said Fahey, who happens to work at the same hospital.
“My son should never have been hit by a car,” she added – before sending out a message aimed at the killer or killers of her firstborn.
“I would tell him or her that they are very sick in the head and I don’t care what else happens to you or what happens to you in the long run because you killed my innocent baby who is the most meant to me,” she said. the reporter.
“And now his family members have to survive without him.”
Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge said her department has not yet identified any suspects and is still not aware of a motive.
However, their investigation is still continuing, she reiterated this weekend, as the case is now being treated as murder following the toddler’s death.
In the meantime, a recent report from the Health Policy Institute of Ohio shined a light on the state’s crime problem after homicides there spiked during the pandemic.
However, their investigation is still continuing, she reiterated this weekend, as the case is now being treated as murder following the toddler’s death.
“My son should never have been hit by a car,” she added – before sending out a message aimed at the killer or killers of her firstborn.
“I would tell him or her that they are very sick in the head and I don’t care what else happens to you or what happens to you in the long run because you killed my innocent baby who is the most meant to me,” she said. reporters
“And now his family members have to survive without him.” Here you can see a bullet hole in the family’s home
In the years since, local law enforcement has failed to reduce incidents to pandemic levels, with Columbus and Cleveland emerging as the state’s hot spots.
The report reiterated that two of Columbus’ deadliest years on record were 2021 with 204 homicides and 2020 with 175 homicides — most of which were committed with firearms. That number dropped to 148 by 2023, still the third highest ever
Cleveland, on the other hand, had 192 homicides in 2020 and 165 in 2021, dropping to 152 in 2023 — still well above average.
As for Cincinnati, it has done slightly better than its sister cities. According to officials there, crime is at an all-time low, amid a steady decline in not only homicides but also violent incidents in general since 2012.
Yet incidents of gun violence continue to plague Greater Cincinnati, as evidenced by four different shootings that occurred on the exact same day last month.
None of the four shootings were fatal and took place in different neighborhoods of the city.
DailyMail.com has reached out to Cincinnati Police for more information about the recent incident.