16-year-old arrested months after stepdad found shot dead, Georgia deputies say
A 16-year-old accused of fatally shooting his stepfather inside their Atlanta-area home was arrested after two months on the run, Georgia deputies said.
Jayden Daniel was arrested Thursday, July 17, and faces charges of murder, aggravated assault and theft by taking in the May 13 incident, according to the Newton County Sheriff’s Office. He will be charged as an adult, a sheriff’s spokesperson said.
He was found in DeKalb County, though authorities didn’t say what led them there.
Daniel also faces charges of possession of a handgun by a person under 18, and possession of a knife or firearm during the commission of a crime, deputies said.
His arrest comes months after his stepdad, David Gay, 41, was found shot to death. Deputies responded to a shooting at the family’s home in Covington and discovered Gay’s body, according to the sheriff’s office.
“A preliminary investigation indicated Gay was fatally shot by Daniel,” authorities said, though they did not give a motive.
The teen’s mother had pleaded with Daniel to come forward after losing another son to gun violence last year, WAGA reported.
“This is the ultimate breaking point for me,” Kennethia Gay told the station. “I said I couldn’t lose another child. I lost my husband, and now I really can’t lose another child.”
Daniel was taken to the Newton County Detention Center, deputies said.
Covington is about a 30-mile drive southeast from downtown Atlanta.
This story was originally published July 17, 2025 at 3:54 PM with the headline "16-year-old arrested months after stepdad found shot dead, Georgia deputies say."