COAHOMA COUNTY, Miss. — A father is devastated as the Coahoma County Sheriff’s Office continues investigating the death of his 10-year-old son.
Terrance Readus is unable to accept the Christmas Eve tragedy that claimed his son Al’Darius Nesbitt, wishing he could turn back the hands of time.
“He always thought daddy could fix it. He always thought daddy could fix it, and I can’t fix it this time,” Readus said.
Readus, Nesbitt and his 14-year-old brother were in Friars Point on Christmas Eve to celebrate Readus’ birthday.
He allowed the 14-year-old to drive his car to a local store. Al’Darius was asleep in the back seat.
According to Readus’ son, the pair was followed by more than one vehicle and shots were fired, waking the 10-year-old.
“When he raised up, that’s when they shot him and he said, ‘I’m hit. I’m hit.’ That’s all he kept screaming,” Readus said.
The 14-year-old managed to drive the bullet riddled car back to his father.
“He grabbed me around the collar and tore my collar from up here to here and saying, ‘Daddy, Al’Darius been shot,'” Readus recalled. “When I got to him, he was gagging for his breath, and I just told him to talk to me, and he kept saying ‘da…da…da.'”
The child did not survive the two gunshot wounds. Now, every member of his family left grieving.
Readus has some strong words for whoever is responsible.
“If you are a respectable person and you know you did wrong, I want you to go to the police department and turn yourself in,” he said.
The Coahoma County Sheriff’s Office says they are offering a $2,500 reward for information that could help solve the crime. If you have any information, call Investigator Major Gwen Muskin at 662-592-1395.