GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Three 15-year-olds are facing murder charges for a shooting in a Gwinnett County neighborhood that left another teenager dead.
Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson learned new details about the case, and how neighbors who ducked for cover were surprised by the suspects’ ages.
“Why would you kill somebody or shoot,” neighbor Daniel Simon said.
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Simon told Channel 2 Action News he still can’t understand why three kids would open fire in his Gwinnett County neighborhood.
“I heard shots like automatic weapon, and a scream, a terrifying scream,” Simon said.
He said he was getting ready for bed when the gunshots rang out that night in May on Pirkle Road near Norcross.
But what Simon didn’t know at the time was just how young the shooters were.
“It’s absolutely scary,” he said. “I never expected this.”
Police said John Khai, Christopher Rodriguez and Jahriel Avalos are all just 15 years old. The three are charged with felony murder in the death of 17-year-old Andrew Gatlin.
Friends and family remember Gatlin as a beloved son, a friend and an inspiration to others.
Investigators said the teens met for reasons that are unclear, and an argument turned deadly.
The suspects also face aggravated assault and weapons charges.
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