Gunshots lead to three arrests
Published 5:06 pm Wednesday, February 28, 2024
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VALDOSTA — Reports of gunshots led to charges Monday against two adults and a 12-year-old.
Around 6:30 pm., police headed to a home in the 600 block of East Ann Street on reports subjects were firing guns near an apartment, a Valdosta Police Department statement said.
One suspect ran but was located by officers.
A 20-year-old man and a 12-year-old boy had been shooting the guns, police said. A search of an apartment recovered a handgun and an assault rifle; a third handgun — reported stolen — was found near the 12-year-old, the statement said.
The 12-year-old began to fight officers who were trying to arrest him, and a 17-year-old boy began yelling and cursing at the officers, police said.
The 20-year-old was charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct, misdemeanor discharging of a firearm within 50 yards of a public highway and misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
The 17-year-old was charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct and misdemeanor possession of tobacco products by a minor.
The 12-year-old was detained for felony possession of stolen property, obstruction of an officer, misdemeanor possession of a firearm by a minor, misdemeanor reckless conduct and misdemeanor discharging of a firearm within 50 yards of a public highway.
“Due to the time of day when this incident occurred, children were playing outside, and people were coming home from work. We are lucky that these reckless actions did not injure anyone. Not only is it disturbing we had a 12-year-old shooting a gun off, but then as they lawfully arrested him, he tried to physically fight our officers,” said Police Chief Leslie Manahan.