A homeowner fatally shot three masked teenagers as they attempted to rob him in his front garden.
The incident took place in the early hours of Monday morning (September 16) when two brothers, aged 15 and 16, and another 16-year-old boy approached the residence in Conyers, a town outside Atlanta, Georgia.
The group all had their faces covered and one brandished a gun as they attempted to rob the homeowner and two other individuals who were in the front yard.
According to Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office, one of the teenagers shot at the residents before the homeowner returned fire. Police arrived at the scene after the homeowner called 911 for help.
The victims of the attempted robbery were all unharmed but the exchange of gunshots proved fatal to the masked youngsters.
The sheriff’s office shared details about the situation, writing:
Upon arrival, RCSO deputies found three males with gunshot wounds and began administering first aid. Two males were transported to a local area hospital, where they were pronounced deceased from their injuries, while one was pronounced deceased at the shooting scene.
#update – The deceased individuals from the early morning shooting on White Oak Court inConyers, Georgia have been…
Posted by Rockdale County Sheriff's Office on Monday, 16 September 2019
Deputy Lee Thomas declined to identify the boys but relatives said two of the teenagers were 16-year-old Isaiah Reid and his 15-year-old brother, Jaime Hernandez, the New York Post report.
Police are said to have found two guns on the property, though they have not confirmed who they belonged to.
One neighbour, Carlos Watson, heard the gunfire and ran outside to help.
Speaking to WSB-TV, he said:
It was five shots and then it sounded like a handgun. Then I heard somebody have an assault rifle. And it was a slew of shots that came out.
WSB-TVNeighbours told the publication the homeowner is a truck driver who owns a semi-automatic rifle and is highly protective of his mother, who was there when the shooting happened.
LaShawn Thornton, the aunt of the two teen brothers, said she had no idea why they allegedly confronted the homeowner.
Speaking to WXIA, as per the Post, she said:
They was loving, they was brothers [sic].
I hope that someone can come forward and let us know what’s going on because this is, like, devastating to my family. There are three teens that are dead now. And we all loved them.
WSB-TVIn a post on Monday, Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office said the homeowner was being questioned about the details of the shooting. The investigation was described as being in the preliminary stages and no one had been charged at the time.
Anyone with information in connection to this incident is asked to contact the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office at 770-278-8000 and speak with Investigator Dwayne Smith or Sergeant Jeremy Best.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.