On March 31, 2020, Danyale Harris discovered a video of her daughter, who was 12 years old at the time, involved in a sexual act with a 22-year-old man, identified as Antonio Harley.
As reported, at around 3:30 a.m. on April 1, 2020, Harris reported the information to an officer with the DeKalb County Police Department (DKPD). The officer involved, the DKPD Special Victim’s Unit, took the report, “and reportedly told Harris that detectives would get in touch with her. He warned her not to let her anger get the best of her and not to try to get revenge.”
Authorities reported that “just hours later, however, Harris drove a large group of people to an apartment complex near the intersection of Wesley Chapel Road and Snapfinger Road to confront Harley.” Harris and three of the people with her “were armed with handguns.”
As reconstructed, Harris requested her daughter point out Harley’s apartment. Harris knocked on the front door. Police reports indicate “Harley did not open the door, but instead went around from the side of the apartment building to see who was there. Harris and the rest of the group chased Harley, who managed to make it back inside his apartment through the back door.”
As Harley shut the door, someone in the group outside fired a handgun, “striking Harley in the chest.” Harley’s brother “fired back,” allegedly to protect himself and the “five of his younger siblings who were just feet away inside the apartment.”
Juan Newkirk, 19, who was part of the group that had come to the apartment complex with Defendant Harris, was struck and killed in the exchange of gunfire.
On March 22, a DeKalb County jury found Danyale Harris, 42, “guilty of charges of felony murder, aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.” Harley, who survived his injuries, was later charged with statutory rape, child molestation, and sexual exploitation of children. His case is pending.