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5th person arrested in shooting death of 13-year-old

CARROLLTON, Ga. — UPDATE: Police have arrested a fifth person in connection to the shooting death of 13-year-old Nizzear Rodriguez.

Carrollton police say they have arrested Britannica Turner, 21. She is charged with giving false statements. 

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Rodriguez's body was discovered Sunday afternoon by a family member. He was shot inside his home on Chancery Lane.
Police say witnesses heard gunfire between 1 and 3 a.m. Sunday. They said televisions in the home may have drowned out the gunfire.
Police arrested 17-year-old Malik Davis on Monday and charged him with murder, burglary, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He was charged as an adult. 
Witnesses told investigators that Davis had been in the complex hours before the shooting, waving a gun and looking for someone.
Davis is being held at the Carroll County Jail.

Witnesses identified Davis as having a weapon at the apartment complex at the time of Rodriguez's death. Police said Davis turned himself in at the urging of his mother.

Carrollton police said officers also arrested Kenneth Wheat, 21, and Jackquiline Freeman, 24, on Tuesday. Later in the afternoon, police arrested a female who they say gave false statements to police.

"This family had no enemies, you know, so it would have been tough if we hadn't had the people in the neighborhood giving us information of who they saw where, and being able to identify Malik being in the neighborhood at the time that this happened," Carrollton Police Captain Chris Dobbs said.

Neighbors say they cannot think of one possible motive.
“Off the record, on the record, Nizzear (was) a lovable person,” said neighbor Andrew Ealy.
Rodriguez was in eighth grade at Carrollton Junior High School. Neighbors described the teen as someone who loved to play basketball, helped out in the neighborhood cutting lawns, was respectful to his elders and played ball at a local church.
“It’s hurtful for anyone, but you know the type of kid that lives a life like that, to get gunned down in cold blood, it's awful,” said Ealy.
Neighbors say Nizzear Rodriguez was at Applebees Saturday night with his grandmother celebrating his 13th birthday. His aunt said her baby brother discovered Rodriguez’s body Sunday afternoon.
“My baby brother, the 17-year-old, was waking him up to eat when he saw the blood and all of that,” said Kanisha Osorio.
Police say Carrollton Junior High School plans to have grief counselors on campus Monday morning.

WSBTV

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