A Georgia teenager killed himself after accidentally shooting and killing his friend hours before ringing in the New Year on Dec. 31.
Two teens ran, but police said the boy who fired the shot stayed behind and called 911.
Officers discovered one teen dead inside the shed, the report said. Afterward, police “heard a single gunshot while attempting to locate the involved parties from the initial 911 call,” officials said.
“Officers located a male with what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound a short distance from the makeshift shed,” a statement from Gwinnett police read.
“It appears that a group of four males were gathered in a makeshift shed. At some point, a gun was displayed. The gun was fired and one subject was struck. Then the men then ran from the shed. Two of the friends heard what they described as a pop and found who we believe was the initial shooter, deceased of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Ashley Wilson with the Gwinnett Police Department said, elaborating on the incident to WSB-TV.
Neighbors Speak Out
The shooting occurred at 3:15 p.m. local time along Riverlanding Circle in Lawrenceville, described as an upscale Atlanta suburb.“You know, it’s New Year’s Eve and to have this happen so close to home, it’s just really devastating,” an unnamed neighbor said. “And now, we’re just in a state of panic to know who these two children are. Are they children of our community where we can reach out to their families? So this was just really unexpected. Nothing like this ever (happened) in this neighborhood,” one neighbor said.
“The (shed) is kind of a shack that kids hang out in, so we’re kind of like, ‘Oh my God,’” said Riverlanding Circle resident Barrie Hunter, reported the Post. “We’ve lived here for 18 years—this is the first crazy thing (like this) to happen.”
According to another unnamed neighbor, the shed is a local hangout spot. “The kids used to play in it when they were younger,” the resident told the Daily Post. “Now, what goes on—who knows.”
Andrew Tran told WSB that he used to go to the same shed. “I was shocked because just thinking about it, it could have been my friends,” he said.
The two teens’ identities were not released pending notification of their families.
Suicide Hotlines
In the United States, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255. Young people can call the Kids Help Phone on 1-800-668-6868.In the United Kingdom, suicide hotline Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or one can email [email protected].
In Australia, the crisis support service hotline is 13 11 14 (Lifeline).