Teen charged in accidental shooting of 13-year-old

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A 17-year-old has been charged in the shooting death of a 13-year-old in DeKalb County.

Marcus Lewis, 13, was accidentally shot in the face by a friend, Aaron Harcum, 17, around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Police say the boys found the gun in the woods near a home on Idlewood Park in Lithonia.

They were playing with the gun in the garage when it went off and Marcus was hit. Harcum ran to a neighbor's house for help.

Marcus died soon after arriving at Grady Memorial Hospital.

According to police, Harcum ran out saying he was sorry that he had shot his friend.

"He kept me strong he was my one child the only child I have I have in in my memory but not here physically," said Sonia Wheeler, Lewis' mother.

Police say they will look at the history of the gun to find out who it might have belonged to.

"We will track the weapon to find out where it was purchased, where it originally came from," DeKalb police Maj. Steve Fore said.

Channel 2's Carl Willis was there Thursday night when Harcum had his first appearance in court. Harcum has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and had bond set at $25,000.

Harcum moved to Lithonia from Philadelphia five years ago.

He attends school at the Destiny Academy of Excellence.

Attorneys for Harcum told Willis they believe he will make bond.

"Makes no sense to me. Senseless. Two lives in two different directions. My baby is gone, that mother's child is gone," Wheeler said.

Friends of Marcus Lewis have created a GoFundMe account to help Wheeler pay for funeral expenses.

WSBTV