ATLANTA — Two suspects have been arrested after police say a phone argument turned into a deadly drive-by shooting that killed 7-year-old Zoey Price and injured her mother inside their northwest Atlanta home.

The shooting happened on February 24 around 9:40 p.m. at a home on Tiger Flowers Drive NW. Police say Zoey and her mother, 44-year-old Cassandra Ervin, were inside the house when gunfire came through the home. Both were hit and rushed to the hospital, but Zoey did not survive.

Investigators say the violence started with an argument over the phone between 19-year-old Preston Smith and Zoey’s brother. During that argument, a witness allegedly heard Smith threaten to shoot up the home. Police say Smith then drove in from outside metro Atlanta, picked up 17-year-old Steven Richardson at an Atlanta address, and the two went to the home shortly before 10 p.m. before firing into it.

Police obtained arrest warrants for Smith two days after the shooting. On February 27, officers executed a search warrant at a home on McDaniel Street in Atlanta’s Mechanicsville neighborhood, which led to Richardson being charged. Richardson turned himself in that Friday, and Smith turned himself in the following Monday at the Fulton County Jail.

Both Smith and Richardson are facing murder charges, along with attempted murder, three counts of aggravated assault, second-degree criminal damage to property, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and four counts of third-degree cruelty to children. Richardson is also charged with possession of a pistol or revolver by a person under 18, and police say he is being charged as an adult.

Zoey was a first grader at SLAM Atlanta Charter School. Days after her death, roughly 200 students and staff gathered at the school to honor her memory, describing her as bright, loving, and full of life. Fulton County Commissioner Marvin Arrington Jr. attended the memorial and said the community needed to rally around Zoey’s name and support her legacy.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said he spoke with Zoey’s mother and sister after the shooting. He said the family described Zoey as bright, compassionate, fun, energetic, and joyful. Dickens also said Zoey spent time in Atlanta’s Parks and Recreation programs, where she cheerleaded and played basketball.

After Zoey’s death, neighbors left flowers, balloons, and stuffed animals outside the home. One neighbor said Zoey had her whole life ahead of her, while another remembered her as a sweet little girl with a pretty smile who would come by and pet his dog.

Her mother, Cassandra Ervin, later gathered with loved ones at Dunbar Recreational Center to remember Zoey. She said Zoey was bright, playful, and forgiving, and said the only thing she wanted now was justice for her daughter.

Police say the investigation is still ongoing, but the arrests marked a major step forward in a case that devastated Zoey’s family, school, and neighborhood.