A 16-year-old boy was tragically shot and killed in southeast Atlanta, in an incident believed to be a case of mistaken identity. The teenager's life was cut short early in the morning on Mulberry Row within the Glenrose Heights community, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta and Atlanta News First.
Investigators who arrived on the scene at the townhouse community confirmed the victim was found shot inside the residence, and although initially unclear about the victim's age, it was later confirmed that he was indeed a 16-year-old male coming home around 3:30 a.m., the Atlanta Police Department responded to the scene where family members of the victim, in deep distress as homicide detectives and the unit commander worked tirelessly to secure the area, establish the circumstances surrounding the shooting. According to officials, a man residing inside the house assumed the young man to be an intruder and fatally shot him.
Lt. Andrew Smith of the Atlanta Police Department described the event as "a true tragedy" in his comments to Atlanta News First, saying "The 16-year-old lived here. An occupant of the home thought that he was breaking in and was an intruder, and opened fire. So again, a real tragedy as we work through this." These details suggest the shooter was a family member of the teenager though at the time of police arrival the shooter had fled the scene.
As the investigation into this unfortunate incident continues, the identity of the teenager has not been disclosed by authorities nor additional details about the suspected shooter.
