16-year-old fatally shot while visiting friends, Georgia cops say. 14-year-old arrested
UPDATE: A 14-year-old boy accused in the shooting death of a 16-year-old South Georgia girl has been arrested, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said June 20.
The teen was charged with felony murder after turning himself in at the Sylvester Police Department, according to investigators. He’ll be booked into a youth detention facility.
The original story continues below.
A 14-year-old boy is wanted in connection with a deadly shooting that killed a 16-year-old girl in South Georgia, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Investigators issued warrants for the teen’s arrest as part of the probe into Ke’aisa Young’s death, the GBI said in a June 17 news release. McClatchy News isn’t naming him because he’s a minor.
Officers were called around 11:15 p.m. on June 15 about a reported death at a home in Sylvester, authorities said. Inside, they found Young suffering from a gunshot wound.
Investigators said the 16-year-old was visiting friends when the shooting happened.
Young’s body was taken to the GBI Crime Lab for an autopsy, authorities said.
Authorities were searching for the 14-year-old boy as of June 18, according to the GBI. No arrests have been made.
The GBI is investigating the incident at the request of the Sylvester Police Department.
Sylvester is about a 175-mile drive south from Atlanta.
Gun violence in the US
Thousands of people die from firearm injuries in the U.S. each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Gun violence is a “serious public health problem,” experts say, and gun-related injuries were among the five leading causes of death for people ages 1 to 44 in 2022.
Its impact reaches far beyond victims and their family, according to the public health agency.
“Shooting incidents, including those in homes, schools, houses of worship, workplaces, shopping areas, on the street or at community events can affect the sense of safety and security of entire communities and impact everyday decisions,” the CDC said.
This story was originally published June 18, 2024 at 3:23 PM.