Atlanta rapper 21 Savage is mourning a devastating family loss after a 14-year-old boy described as “like a nephew” to him died by suicide following the accidental shooting of his sister.
Seven Shirley died Wednesday afternoon in Stockbridge, Georgia, roughly 25 miles southeast of Atlanta, according to 11Alive News.
Family members told the outlet that, shortly before his death, Seven had accidentally shot his sister, Lyric, in the neck.
Sharon Smith, Seven’s grandmother, said she had raised him since he was just 11 months old and does not know how the teenager got access to the gun.
“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,” Smith told the station.
Overcome with grief, Smith reflected on how rapidly Seven appeared to make the decision to end his life.
“He probably sat up there and thought, ‘I’m [gonna] go to jail, they’re going to ridicule me, everybody is going to be doing this and that and this, and this and that,’ and he couldn’t take it,” she said.
21 Savage, born Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, later shared a photo of Seven on Instagram, writing, “[I] Remember when you was a baby,” alongside broken heart emojis.
Grammy Award-winning Atlanta rapper 21 Savage has suffered a tragedy as a 14-year-old who was ‘like a nephew’ to him died by suicide after accidentally shooting his sister
Seven Shirley took his own life in Stockbridge, Georgia, after shooting his sister, Lyric, in the neck, his family has said
Lyric has undergone three surgeries on her neck and vocal cords, but it is still not known when she will be able to return home, with her family saying she was ‘fighting for her life’
Lyric has undergone three surgeries on her neck and vocal cords, according to her family.
However, it is still not known when she will be able to return home.
In a statement to the outlet, the grieving family said that Lyric was ‘fighting for her life, and we are believing God for her healing, strength, and complete recovery.’
The family also asked their community to ‘stand with us in another way’ and ‘please help us get these guns off our streets.’
READ MORE: Salmonella Outbreak Tied to Recalled Texas Eggs Sickens Nearly 100
‘Far too many young lives are being taken by senseless gun violence,’ the family told 11Alive. ‘We must work together to stop the illegal sale and access of firearms to minors and do everything we can to protect our children.’
The statement continued: ‘Our family has lost one child, and another is fighting for her life. No family should ever have to experience this kind of pain.’
Smith, Seven’s grandmother, said Thursday on Facebook that ‘one of the hardest thing for me to do is bury my baby.’
‘You are finally back with your daddy,’ she added.
Earlier this week, 21 Savage posted a photo on his Instagram story of Seven after the teen boy took his own life
21 Savage posted a second story of Seven on his Instagram profile on Saturday afternoon
An old picture of Seven and his sister Lyric posted by their grandmother, Sharon Smith. The family did not know where Seven obtained the gun
Seven’s cousin, 13-year-old DeMarcus Shirley, was killed in a drive-by shooting earlier this month.
He was at a sleepover with friends at a DeKalb County home, according to AtlantaNewsFirst.
Investigators said that several shots had been fired into the home from outside, the outlet reported.
Grammy-winning rapper 21 Savage has previously spoken out against the gun violence in Atlanta and surrounding areas.
In a 2022 post on X, he urged Atlanta to ‘Put The F****** Guns Down !!!!!’
Some online users pushed back on the rapper’s lyrics describing gun violence, but 21 Savage responded that his songs were ‘for entertainment.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to Smith, Seven’s grandmother, for further comment.
