FORSYTH, Georgia (AP) – A teenage boy is dead and another is on remand after an argument at a Walmart resulted in gunfire.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said a 17-year-old man fatally shot and killed Cedric Mayes, 17, after an argument on Sunday that began in the grocery section of the store in Forsyth, Georgia. The fight continued into the freezer area, where the suspect pulled a gun and shot Mayes multiple times, authorities said.
“I think a lot of teenagers can find a permanent solution to what is a temporary problem at best when they have these firearms readily available,” Sheriff Brad Freeman told WMAZ-TV.
No other injuries were reported.
Freeman said investigators don’t yet know where the suspect got the gun, but he said such violence must stop.
“If you do something stupid like this, it will affect your life for the rest of your life,” Freeman said.
According to a MP report obtained from The Telegraph, the suspect told investigators that the gun used in the shooting was in his pants. The type of pistol was not described in the report, but it was stated that it was “loaded with bullets in the magazine”.
The suspect also told MPs that the other teenager “tried to shoot me first,” according to the report.
It remained unclear on Monday what sparked the fatal confrontation in the store. Charges are pending against the teenager. It wasn’t immediately known whether he had a lawyer to speak for him.
Christopher Andrews told WMAZ-TV, who knows everyone in Forsyth, that he called “a small town”.
“I am very shocked and heartbroken by the situation,” he said.
He said he always knew the teenagers were friends and that this would be the last thing he expected.
“I’ve seen them grow up over the years, just different situations I’ve encountered them. Talking to either of them is never a bad thing, even more guidance, ”said Andrews.
Andrews said he prayed for both families “that they will have strength in this because I know it is difficult for both of them.”
