Atlanta apartment shooting: Two boys, aged 16 and 14, killed in gunfight over social media dispute
ATLANTA, GEORGIA: Two teens died in a shootout at an Atlanta area apartment building on Saturday, December 17. A 14-year-old boy and a 16-year-old boy were found dead at the scene, while others were injured in the deadly shooting, as per Atlanta Police Department. "It appears several victims were taken to the hospital by private vehicle, before police arrived on the scene. We continue to gather information regarding the total number of victims and will provide an update once we are able," said Charles Hampton Jr, Atlanta Deputy Police in a statement.
It is being reported that a social media dispute led to a ‘shootout,’ where ‘multiple people were shooting’, believes Hampton. He adds that it began inside, and continued outside, where both victims were found. The injured include a 15-year-old girl, a 15-year-old boy, and an 11-year-old boy. They were taken to local hospitals, however, the extent of their injuries is unknown currently after they managed to survive. Mayor Andre Dickens said in a statement, "A week before Christmas, families should be preparing to celebrate. Instead, we have parents in Atlanta doing what no parent should ever have to do: laying their children to rest. My heart is broken for these families. And I have anger in my soul. Gun violence has become the leading cause of death for adolescents in the United States," reports People.
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Hampton also used this moment to remind parents to keep a check on their children, "Know where your kids are, what they're doing, check [their] rooms. Too many guns are in the hands of [kids]. This should be a time where we're getting ready for the holidays but we have at least two families planning for funerals." As the investigation is ongoing, the authorities have asked to share any information on the shooting by contacting Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS.
In another unrelated incident, Joshua ‘Ash’ Cooper of Gibson Road in Bensalem allegedly shot a girl dead and confessed to the crime via Instagram video. It is said that the 16-year-old killer called his friend and showed a dead body before telling him that he accidentally ‘killed someone’. "There were also indications that substantial steps were taken to clean up the crime scene," added officials. Other responding officers apprehended the defendant near Newport Mews Drive and Groton Drive, not far from his home. The time of his arrest is given as 4.41 pm, precisely half an hour after the initial phone call. Cooper, who is accused as an adult, faces two further counts in addition to criminal homicide: possessing tools of crime and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, reported MEAWW.
