Teens charged in Eatonton shooting | News

EATONTON, Ga. — An Eatonton teenager and a Jasper County teenager are in a state juvenile detention center since a shooting that occurred last Thursday night in Eatonton, the Union-Recorder has learned.

No one was injured in the shooting, which occurred outside a residence in the 300 block of Grove Street, according to Eatonton Police Chief Howell Cardwell.

Two other teenagers, both of whom attend Putnam High School, were the original targets, Cardwell told the newspaper in a telephone interview Monday afternoon.

“We have yet to determine whether the victims were inside or outside at the time of the shooting,” Cardwell said.

The motive for the shooting was apparently a dispute over a pair of tennis shoes.

The police chief, who is also the department's sole investigator, said two juveniles got out of a car parked in front of the house and fired four shots at a car in the driveway.

“The shooters got out of the car and started shooting, then they got back in the car and drove away,” Cardwell said.

A car parked in the driveway of the residence where the shooting occurred was damaged after being hit by at least two of the four bullets fired by the shooters, Cardwell said.

“We found four shell casings at the scene,” the police chief said, noting that police were alerted to the shooting by a 911 call shortly after the shooting.

The cartridge cases came from a 9mm pistol and a .45-caliber pistol, Cardwell said.

As of Monday afternoon, police had still not found any of the weapons.

The first of the two suspects was arrested Friday afternoon at a Jasper County apartment.

“I received assistance from the Jasper County Sheriff's Office in Monticello in arresting this individual,” Cardwell said.

The 16-year-old suspect from Monticello was arrested around 2 p.m. following a complaint from a juvenile.

The second suspect, 15, turned himself in to Eatonton Police authorities Friday evening.

The youngest of the suspects is from Eatonton.

Each of the suspects faces charges of two counts of aggravated assault, possession of a weapon during the commission of a felony, possession of a weapon by a minor and second-degree criminal damage to property.

Cardwell said the investigation into the shooting is still ongoing.

Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call Eatonton Police at 706-485-3551 and ask to speak to Chief Howell. Cartel.