VALDOSTA —
A bullet pierced through a wall and struck a toddler in the hand at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday when a neighbor at the Northwind apartment complex allegedly squeezed the trigger of what he thought was an unloaded handgun, according to the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office.
The discharged firearm, a semi-automatic .40 caliber handgun, projected a bullet through the man’s apartment, through an exterior wall, across a breezeway and into the victim’s residence, reports stated.
The mother of the 14-month-old child immediately rushed the injured toddler to the hospital for care, according to reports.
An off-duty Valdosta police officer residing in the complex heard the commotion and met a man in the parking lot, sticking near the suspect until deputies arrived, reports stated.
Responding deputies later learned that the man had discharged his handgun inside of his apartment and determined that he had attempted to conceal a spent shell casing, according to reports.
Justin Scott Hamilton, 28, was taken to the Sheriff’s Office and charged with misdemeanor offenses of reckless conduct and tampering with evidence, reports stated.
Hamilton is serving as an active-duty member of the Air Force, so investigators have been working with agents from Moody Air Force Base’s Office of Special Investigations detachment.
Local News
Child shot in hand
Man cited when weapon discharges
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Lowndes County facing budget woes
In a brief meeting Tuesday evening, Lowndes County Commissioners and a small audience reviewed a power point presentation compiled by Finance director Stephanie Black, which shows a rather bleak picture for this fiscal year.
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Celebrating Juneteenth
Some find it hard to look US slavery in its eyes when glancing back on history, but the Juneteeth committee reminded Valdostans how a people persevered through the barbaric institution as they held the city's 21st annual Juneteenth celebration at Mathis City Auditorium on Tuesday evening.
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Child drowns in family pool
Emergency workers raced a two-year-old child to South Georgia Medical Center from a Pearl Davis Road residence Monday evening in response to a reported drowning, but the toddler did not respond to resuscitation efforts, according to reports from the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office.
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Easter Seals benefit Thursday
Easter Seals Southern Georgia will be hosting “Sweet Charity: Desserts for a Cause” Thursday at Mathis Auditorium. The event will be from 7 to 9 p.m. and will include several local restaurants serving dessert as well as a silent auction.
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Dollar General robbed at gunpoint
A customer and two employees were unharmed during a Sunday evening robbery as two masked men demanded cash from registers and the business’ safe as the Dollar General on Bemiss Road prepared to close at around 11:30 p.m., according to reports from the Valdosta Police Department.
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Overpass work causes detours
All vehicles which are not making a delivery in the immediate vicinity of the new overpass will have to find alternate routes immediately.
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Crossing guard keeping kids safe
Meet Merita Williams, crossing guard.
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Juneteenth’s coming
Held in just as high a regard as the celebration of our country’s independence to many, the county’s annual Juneteenth dinner returns this Tuesday at 7 p.m. for its 21st year and will offer citizens of all races with a central point to celebrate human rights.
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A soldier called preacher
In Vietnam, Wesley Harrell spread the Lord’s word among his fellow soldiers. He spoke of God often though few seemed to listen until they encountered war’s sudden death.
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History on the move
In the right hands, a divided house can again mount a sound foundation and settle into a new era, as proved on Saturday when the 100 Black Men of Valdosta unveiled a transplanted house that’ll likely serve as their headquarters at its Martin Luther King Jr. Drive location.
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