At a Shell gas station in Georgia, nine children were hurt by gunfire, including a five-year-old boy.
According to the Columbus Police Department, they received a call from a gas station in Columbus, Georgia, at approximately 10 p.m. on Friday, February 17, about a shooting that injured several children.
According to Police Chief Freddie Blackmon, the shooting started when a group of kids from a nearby party got into a fight and walked to the gas station.
During the brawl, seven boys and two girls were among those who had non-life threatening injuries.
At a press conference on Saturday, Chief Blackmon indicated that responding officers brought the wounded to nearby hospitals, and that four had already been treated for their injuries and released.
According to the police chief, the oldest victim was a 17-year-old boy, and the youngest was a five-year-old kid.
Authorities stated they were still investigating the incident and the events that led up to it. Although the motivation for the shooting was unknown, there was no evidence that the gunman or shooters targeted the five-year-old specifically.
Some witnesses, according to Blackmon, were working with authorities while others were not.
On Saturday, the police chief asked parents to check in with their children to see if they were in the area of the shooting, as well as to gather more information about the shooting and share it with authorities.
A week after the shooting police detained two people, including a teen suspect.
D’Angelo Robinson, Sr., 35, and a 15-year-old boy — who has not been publicly identified owing to his age — were arrested on assault charges in Columbus, Ga., on Friday, February 24, according to police.
In connection with the February 17 shooting, Robinson is charged with eight counts of aggravated assault. The younger suspect, who police say has been identified as a confirmed gang member, faces a single count of aggravated assault.
According to authorities, additional charges are pending.
“The rash of gun violence involving our youth is impacting communities across the country,” Chief Blackmon said in a statement.
According to Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson, the incident was “horrific and unsettling,” especially given the ages of individuals involved.
The Georgia shooting is the 74th mass shooting in the United States this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
