Atlanta rapper 21 Savage is mourning the loss of 14-year-old Seven Shirley — a young boy he looked at like a “nephew.” According to family, Seven died by suicide after accidentally shooting his younger sister, 12-year-old Lyric Shirley, in the neck.
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The family said the unimaginable tragedy took place at their Stockbridge, Georgia home on Wednesday afternoon (July 22).
According to TMZ, the Stockbridge Police Department said they arrived at the scene after reports of gunfire. Upon arrival, they found Seven with a gunshot wound and no signs of life. Lyric suffered a gunshot wound to the neck and medics rushed her to the hospital for emergency medical treatment. The family said she underwent three surgeries on her neck and vocal cords. She remains hospitalized and without a discharge date.
Seven’s grandmother, Sharon Smith, told 11Alive:
“Just that fast that boy had made the decision to kill himself. He probably sat up there and thought, ‘I’m finna go to jail, they’re going to ridicule me, everybody is going to be doing this and that and this … and he couldn’t take it.’”
Smith said she raised Seven from when he was 11 months old. She said he was a loving boy who loved on her every day, as she did him. She recalled:
“His grandmomma, there wasn’t nothing in this world he wouldn’t do for me. He would say, ‘Gandmomma sit down in this chair right here,’ and he would push me wherever. I’d be so glad because I’d be hurting so bad. He’d push me wherever I wanted to go.”
When asked where Seven got the gun, his grandmother said his friends told her that he bought it off the street for $200. During her broadcast with 11Alive, she added that she didn’t know from whom he bought the firearm. She further demanded, ”Something needs to be done about that person who sold that gun because if he would have never bought that gun, this would have never happened.”
According to the family, Seven’s death arrives just weeks after another devastating loss. Seven’s cousin, 13-year-old DeMarcus Shirley, was died in a drive-by shooting. Earlier this month, he was staying overnight at a friend’s home in DeKalb County.
Following the news of Seven’s passing, 21 Savage, who was like an “uncle” to the boy, took to his Instagram Story to mourn the loss.
He shared an image of a younger Seven smiling and wearing a “21” chain. He wrote over the image, “Remember when you was a baby 💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔.” Days later, on Saturday (July 25), the Grammy-winning rapper shared another image to his IG Story of Seven.
Seven’s family sent the following statement to 11Alive:
“As we prepare for the homegoing celebration for my beloved nephew, Seven, I respectfully ask everyone to please honor our family’s privacy during this incredibly difficult time. Please continue to keep my niece, Lyric, in your prayers. She is fighting for her life, and we are believing God for her healing, strength, and complete recovery. As our family grieves, we are asking our community to stand with us in another way. Please help us get these guns off our streets. Far too many young lives are being taken by senseless gun violence. We must work together to stop the illegal sale and access of firearms to minors and do everything we can to protect our children. Our family has lost one child, and another is fighting for her life. No family should ever have to experience this kind of pain. We ask that you continue to pray for our entire family, respect our privacy as we navigate the days ahead, and join us in the fight to make our communities safer for all of our children.”
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