Teen arrested in gunfire that left Little Rock toddler dead; 2nd suspect sought

Little Rock police Tuesday arrested one of two suspects in the November shooting death of a toddler, a case that officials said intensified a feud between two groups and contributed to an increase in violent crime in the west-central part of the city this year.

Larry Jackson, 17, of North Little Rock was arrested Tuesday morning in the death of 2-year-old Ramiya Reed, who was shot while riding in the back seat of a vehicle with her mother, police said.

Deshaun Rushing, 21, of Little Rock is also a suspect in Ramiya's death, police said. He was not in custody as of Tuesday evening.

Lt. Steve McClanahan, a Little Rock Police Department spokesman, said Tuesday that a tip in the case allowed investigators to obtain arrest warrants for Rushing and Jackson.

"Nobody can bring back Ramiya Reed, but what we can do is we can say we have arrested the person responsible," he said, standing outside police headquarters in downtown Little Rock.

McClanahan did not release specifics regarding the tip and said the arrest affidavit for Jackson has been sealed by the court.

The break in the case came after the reward for information about Ramiya's death was raised to $50,000 in recent weeks.

"We are confident that we have enough to get a conviction in court," McClanahan said of Jackson's arrest.

Jackson faces one count of capital murder and six counts of unlawful discharge of a firearm from a vehicle, according to a report. Authorities took Jackson into custody Tuesday at the Pulaski County Courthouse after he had a court appearance related to a theft-by-receiving charge, police said.

Online court records show that Jackson was charged with felony theft by receiving related to a January 2016 incident.

In April, Jackson was also charged with fleeing, reckless driving, driving without a license, and careless or prohibited driving, according to court records.

Rushing has also been charged in the past with numerous crimes, including aggravated assault, theft by receiving and fleeing, according to online court records. He currently is facing charges of aggravated assault, theft by receiving, fleeing and possession of a controlled substance stemming from an incident in February.

Rushing and Jackson were both shot earlier this year. McClanahan said it's unclear whether Ramiya's death and the shootings of Rushing and Jackson are connected.

Jackson was shot March 20 during a carjacking at the Big Country Chateau at 6200 Colonel Glenn Road, according to a police report. Jackson fled across the road to a Taco Bell. He was then taken to UAMS Medical Center for treatment.

In late April, Rushing was wounded in the upper leg during a shooting on Park Lane in Little Rock. He survived, but a stray bullet killed day-care owner Shirley Jackson, who was an innocent bystander. She and Larry Jackson are not related, police said.

In a written statement Tuesday, Little Rock City Manager Bruce Moore highlighted the Police Department's hard work in the case and said he expects a second arrest to be made soon.

"Ramiya's death was a senseless and completely avoidable tragedy. I can only imagine the grief her family has felt since she was taken from their lives," Moore said. "Solving this crime has remained a high priority for me and the Little Rock Police Department."

Moore said in the statement that he wanted "Ramiya's family and the public to know that we won't stop until the other suspect is captured and brought to justice."

Ramiya's death intensified the two groups' feud that has contributed to an increase in violence in west-central Little Rock, according to a memo that Moore wrote last month to city directors. In it, Moore said Ramiya was related to one of the rival groups.

Ramiya was shot Nov. 22* while riding in the back seat of a vehicle with her mother, police said. The toddler was taken to the UAMS Medical Center and later pronounced dead. Police located the shooting scene in the area of Charles Bussey Avenue and South Harrison Street.

Department officials have said an increase in Little Rock's violent crime began last fall and has continued into this year.

Preliminary police data show 1,285 violent crimes recorded from Jan. 1 to May 15 this year, a 21 percent increase compared with the same period last year. Homicides also are up compared with last year.

As of Tuesday afternoon, there have been 25 homicides in Little Rock this year. For the same period last year, police recorded 11 killings.

Ramiya was the second toddler fatally shot in Little Rock late last year while riding in a vehicle with family members. In December, 3-year-old Acen King was riding with his family when he was fatally shot in what police called a case of road rage. Authorities have arrested Gary Holmes in Acen's death.

Both deaths prompted widespread anger from community leaders and elected officials.

City Director Doris Wright, who represents Ward 6 in west-central Little Rock, said the lack of an arrest in Ramiya's case had cast a dark cloud over the city.

"This is something that has been hanging over our city," she said Tuesday, mentioning that she hopes the arrest can bring some sort of peace to Ramiya's family.

The Rev. Benny Johnson, founder of Arkansas Stop the Violence, said he was proud of the person who spoke to police and gave officers the tip that lead of the arrest warrants.

"I was just overjoyed they found the perpetrator," he said, adding that anyone who has information on the whereabouts of Rushing should call police.

McClanahan said Little Rock detectives are good at what they do and make sure to investigate tips.

"They have a very personal interest when they work homicides," McClanahan said. "They are the ones that are going to bring closure for that family."

Metro on 05/24/2017

*CORRECTION: Two-year-old Ramiya Reed was fatally shot on Nov. 22, 2016. A previous version of this story had the incorrect date.