A 15-year-old was arrested on November 4th in Valdosta, Georgia, after allegedly shooting and killing a man while playing with a gun. 

According to the Valdosta Police Department, the incident unfolded around 5 PM on Monday after they received a 911 call stating that someone had been shot inside a home. When authorities arrived on the scene, they found 20-year-old Amarius Dakwon Shivers inside with a gunshot wound to his head. Officers immediately attempted to provide first aid to Shivers followed by members of the Valdosta Fire Department and local Emergency Medical Services from South Georgia Medical Center, however, he was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene. 

VPD detectives and crime scene personnel also responded to the incident to investigate and interview potential witnesses and individuals seen leaving the home when officers initially arrived. During their investigation, police received a 911 call from a concerned mother who reported that her 15-year-old son who had returned home may have been the shooter. Officers responded to her residence, taking the teen into custody.

While the investigation is ongoing, initial reports reveal that there were several teens inside the Brookdale Circle home when the gun went off, striking Shivers in the head and killing him. The 15-year-old suspect who was allegedly playing with the gun when it went off is currently behind bars according to the Valdosta Police Department, and faces charges of felony murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a minor, with additional charges pending.

“Our prayers go out to everyone involved in the incident. As one mother was grieving the loss of her son, the mother of the 15-year-old contacted E911 to cooperate with law enforcement. This is a tragic incident affecting two families, which would not have occurred, if juveniles were not playing with a gun,” said VPD Chief Leslie Manahan in an official statement.

The Valdosta Police Department’s Facebook page shows a tremendous amount of support for the mother of the teen who turned her son in.

There is no information as of yet on whose gun it was or how the teen came into possession of it, however, where there is a minor playing with a firearm as if it were a toy, there is almost certainly a negligent adult begging to face charges as well.