"I am disappointed': Garner man sentenced to 10 years in prison after shooting pregnant woman in the head

Tyler Mack Kirby, 27, pled guilty in May to possession of ammunition by a felon and was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

"This felon shot a pregnant woman in the back of the head in an act of senseless violence while she simply rode in a car," said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley.

Family members said Maya Sherrod was shot in the head on Aug. 25, 2022, while riding in the back seat of a Hyundai Sonata on New Bern Avenue near Raleigh Boulevard. She survived the shooting.

Others inside the Hyundai were arguing with another car over driving errors, and Kirby fired a shot into the back seat, striking Sherrod, officials said.

"Someone shot at my car on New Bern ... she's dead," a caller tells 911. "We need police ... We need emergency ... We need emergency! Someone shot through my car."

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Kirby fled from police and destroyed evidence before he was taken into custody by the Garner Police Department.

Other charges against Kirby, including discharging a weapon into occupied property, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, fleeing or eluding arrest with a motor vehicle, and possession of a firearm by a felon, are still pending.

In 2022, Sherrod's mom told WRAL News she was more than one month into her pregnancy at the time of the shooting.

On Wednesday, she spoke to WRAL News about the sentencing.

"I’m crying because this is very overwhelming, we went through so much," she wrote to WRAL News. "I have PTSD from this, I am disappointed he only got 10 years. My daughter has had a really hard time with what happened."

Sherrod's mom said her daughter has since given birth to her grandson, Gio.

She described him as a "very healthy, happy baby."

"He is definitely a miracle baby," she wrote.

Court records showed Kirby has been convicted before on offenses related to carrying a concealed weapon as well as drug and larceny charges.