By Joe Johnson
Kyron Zarco was watching television late Friday afternoon when gunfire raked his home at the Hallmark Estates trailer park in eastside Athens.
The 3-year-old boy was mortally injured by a bullet that exploded into his heart. Another bullet struck and wounded his 9-year-old brother who was sitting next to him on the couch.
Another occupant of the trailer was an 18-year-old gang member member who was not injured but is believed to have been the intended target of the attack.
The little boys were innocent victims who had become the most recent casualties in a violent fued between two Athens street gangs, EBE (Everybody Eats) and RTG (Red Tape Gang).
Zarco was the third person to be killed as the result of gun violence between the two groups of young men.
The first known fatality of the gang war was Ke'Trevian Cole, a 20-year-old rapper also known as EBE Montana.
Authorities said Cole was killed in the early morning hours of May 2, 2021 when he was the passenger in a car on Ga. 316 where another vehicle pulled alongside and its occupants opened fire, killing Cole and wounding the driver, who was the rapper's relative.
Police believe that the shooting was in retaliation an exchange of gunfire between occupants of two vehicles on Lexington Road that occurred two months earlier.
At the time of Cole's death, the Athens-Clark County Police Department had warrants for his arrest for being an alleged participant in the shootout.
The next life to be claimed by the deadly fued was that of 24-year--old Ja’ Vanni McDavid, a purported affiliate of the Red Tape Gang.
He was fatally injured the night of March 5, 2023 in drive-by shooting that targeted a house on Northview Drive in Five Points where police said a party was being held. More than 40 rounds reportedly were fired during an exchange of gunfire between occupants of a car and party attendees,
Three adult EBE members and one juvenile were arrested for the deadly assault and subsequently indicted for murder, criminal gang activity and related crimes,
For the most recent shooting, which killed the toddler at Hallmark Estates, police have arested Julian Omar Cubillos, a 17-year-old alleged EBE gang member, for murder, aggravated assault, criminal gang activity, and related crimes.
Police said warrants with the same charges had been issued for the arrests of fellow EBE members Jayden Brown, 16, and Dakious Echols, 18, both of Athens.
Police had recovered evidence of three different guns being fired into the baby's trailer.