Father: Son killed shielding teens from gunfire at house party

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Nearly a week after a teen was shot and killed at a house party, there are few leads in the case.

Jahlah Branch, 17, was

on Aviator Circle. Police say 100 teens were at a house party when the shooting began.

Branch’s father is frustrated that there are no suspects in his son’s killing.

“I find that hard to believe that within a week, there has been nothing uncovered,” Saviour Branch said.

Gwinnett police said they are having a hard time piecing the story together.

Police said that most witnesses ran from the home after the shooting. The witnesses police have talked to said there were multiple shooters.

Saviour Branch said he was told by some teens that his son shielded two young women from a bullet when a fight broke out at the party.

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“My son pushed one girl out of the way and then her little cousin was just standing there. Jahlah just grabbed her and covered her and that’s how he got shot,” he said.

Jahlah Branch had just returned from a college football camp in Chicago when his parents let him go to the party to have fun after being so focused on academics and athletics.

“You never know if that’s the last time you’re going to see them,” Saviour Branch said. %

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Branch’s family said they were not given access to Jahlah’s body until three days after he died.

They said that he was given a full autopsy against their religious beliefs. The Gwinnett County medical examiner’s office said workers only removed the bullet that entered the teen’s head, examining his brain and no other cavity.

The family said investigators told them an arrest had been made in the case, but Gwinnett police said they are still pleading for witnesses and no arrests have been made.

Cox Media Group