15-year-old killed in shooting at rental home in Douglas County, police say

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. — Douglasville police are investigating a shooting that killed a 15-year-old boy Friday morning.

The shooting happened around 12:24 a.m. on Deering Court. Police responded to the house and found a large group gathering and the teen with a gunshot wound.

The 15-year-old died at the scene. His identity has not been released.

Police said there was a confrontation with a group of teens who were not invited to a party on the property and a gun fight boke out. The gunfire sent dozens of scared teens screaming and running for their lives through the neighborhood.

“I mean, they just started shooting like this is the O.K. Corral. I mean, this is just crazy,” Douglasville Police Chief Gary Sparks said.

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One neighbor shared surveillance video with Channel 2′s Tom Jones that showed the teens trying to escape.

Neighbors said some of the scared teens even knocked on their doors to try to get away.

“It was chaos. It was awful,” one neighbor said.

A neighbor who did not want to be identified said she spoke to the 15-year-old victim’s mother.

“She just broke down,” the neighbor said. “She said, ‘I never let my son go anywhere. He’s such an awesome young man. And he asked to go to this party, and we allowed him to go one time.’”

Another woman said the teen killed was her daughter’s boyfriend and that he attended Douglas County High School.

Police are still searching for three or four, or potentially more, shooters.

Police said the homeowner could also face charges.

Neighbors in the Ashley Falls Community told Jones they have seen too many parties at the house.

“This has been going on for like eight or nine months. We did everything. Everything we can as a HOA to stop this,” home owners’ association secretary Kay Hammonds told Jones.

Anyone with information on the shooting is urged to contact Douglasville detectives at 678-293-1633 or via email at futcha@douglasvillega.gov. Police are offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the shooters.

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