Valdosta police arrest three juveniles in connection with a shooting

VALDOSTA, Ga. (WALB) – Three teens have been arrested and charged in connection with a shooting in Valdosta.

On Sunday, October 20, at approximately 4:50 p.m., Valdosta Police officers, along with the Valdosta Fire Department and South Georgia Emergency Medical Services, responded to a residence in the 600 block of Pineview Drive following a call received at the E911 Center that a 14-year-old male was shot.

When officers entered the apartment, they discovered that the 14-year-old had a gunshot wound to his arm, according to the statement. EMS arrived on scene and transported the man to South Georgia Medical Center for non-life-threatening injuries.

Detectives and crime scene personnel responded and began investigating the incident. Investigators received different stories and versions of the incident.

Through a thorough investigation, investigators determined that the 14-year-old was playing with a gun in a bedroom with two 16-year-old men when it accidentally went off, hitting the 14-year-old in the arm.

One of the 16-year-olds grabbed the gun, fled the scene and dropped the gun elsewhere. A Valdosta Police K9 unit began searching for the hidden firearm and found it in a creek. The gun was reported stolen from another jurisdiction.

Investigators have charged the two 16-year-old men and the 14-year-old male with theft by receiving stolen property (felony), reckless conduct (misdemeanor) and possession of a firearm by a person under 18 (misdemeanor). One of the 16-year-olds was also charged with evidence tampering (a felony).

The Department of Juvenile Justice was contacted and the two 16-year-olds were held at a regional juvenile detention center. The 14-year-old was treated and released by SGMC.

“As three teenagers were playing with a stolen firearm in a residential building, we are extremely fortunate that no one was more seriously injured. Our detectives did an excellent job identifying the false stories and continued the investigation, resulting in the recovery of the weapon that could have been found by another child,” said Chief Leslie Manahan.

If anyone has additional information about this or other cases, please contact the Valdosta Police Department’s Bureau of Investigative Services at (229)293-3145 and Criminal Investigation Division at (229)293-3091.

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