The gang-related March shooting death of 3-year-old Kyron Zarco-Smith will be remembered annually in Athens-Clarke County on his birthday, June 18, as part of a resolution adopted this week by the Athens-Clarke County Commission.
The resolution also could have long-term effects on the local government’s efforts to address gun violence and gang violence and their underlying causes, if the current commission and future commissions take its directives seriously.
Adoption of the resolution came on Wednesday, the same day an Athens-Clarke County grand jury indicted four members of the EBE (Everybody Eats) gang in Kyron’s death on charges of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act.
Charged in the indictments are Jayden Brown, 16, of Athens; Julian Cubillos, 17, of Lawrenceville; Dakious Echols, 18, of Athens; and, Desmontrez Mathis, 22, of Athens.
They are alleged to have gone to the Hallmark Mobile Home Park between downtown Athens and Winterville on March 8 to target members of a rival gang in a bid to boost their status within the EBE gang, according to an announcement from Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr detailing the indictments.
Kyron, affectionately known as “Baby Dro”, died after a bullet struck him in the chest while he was watching TV at his residence. His 9-year-old brother was wounded.
The resolution approved by Athens-Clarke County commissioners declares that June 18 this year and all succeeding years will be observed as Kyron Zarco Day. But the resolution goes far beyond that, committing the local government to prioritizing gun violence and gang violence prevention in each year’s local government budget.
It also calls on the local government to “work long term with parents, local non-profits, the CCSD (Clarke County School District) school system, churches and other community groups to create programs to support youth and their families and help them lead healthy, happy, and productive lives free from involvement with local gangs.”
The resolution, developed by Commissioners Tiffany Taylor and Carol Myers, in consultation with Commissioners Dexter Fisher and Ovita Thornton, also directs the local government to support law enforcement efforts to address gang violence, continues the local commitment to affordable housing for families, and calls for continued attention to factors that keep people in poverty, from low-wage jobs to scant education to “persistent racism and health vulnerabilities.”
Beyond local initiatives, the resolution calls for the Athens-Clarke County government to advocate for federal and state funding to “address issues related to youth and gang violence, poverty, and lack of affordable housing.” It also calls on state and federal elected officials “to enact legislation to limit the number of guns available to our youth.”
In establishing June 18 annually as Kyron Zarco Day, the resolution calls on the community to use that time to “celebrate the life of Kyron Zarco and others’ shortened lives due to gang and gun violence and recommit ourselves as a community to the health and welfare of our youth.”
Taylor, whose family has lost two young men to gun violence, said she spoke with Kyron’s mother while preparing the resolution.
“I think it’s important that we learn from incidents like this so that we do have a better and safer community for low-income minority families,” Taylor told her commission colleagues.
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