15-year-old arrested, charged with 2 murders in Atlanta in 3 weeks
A 15-year-old boy from metro Atlanta has been arrested and charged with murder after shooting three men in two separate incidents, killing two, according to police.
The teenager was arrested Aug. 12 after police determined he was involved in a July 13 shooting that left one man dead and another in the hospital, Atlanta police spokesman Sgt. John Chafee said. Since the teenager has been in custody, investigators linked him to a second homicide: the shooting death of a homeless man Aug. 2.
The teen has been charged with felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of cocaine, Atlanta police said. As of Aug. 31, he remained in custody at the Metro Regional Youth Detention Center, Chafee said. Because the suspect is a youth, the Department of Juvenile Justice could not confirm whether the teenager is still in custody, DJJ spokesman Glenn Allen told AJC.com.
Atlanta police began their investigation when they responded to the first incident in southwest Atlanta in July. According to the incident report, officers received a person shot call in the 1000 block of Donnelly Avenue shortly after 11 p.m. and found two men with multiple gunshot wounds.
Both were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital where one, Donte Oneal Billingsley, 29, died from his injuries. The second, Cedarius Johnson, 28, was treated for serious injuries and was expected to survive. Atlanta police have not provided an update on his condition.
The second incident took place Aug. 2 in downtown Atlanta, 10 days before the teen was arrested. Police responded to a person shot call around 8:45 p.m. at Woodruff Park and found 30-year-old Sergio Rowell with a gunshot wound to his upper torso. He was taken to Grady, where he died.
According to the incident report, investigators believe Rowell, who was homeless, got into a fight with the suspect, who then pulled a handgun and shot him. Rowell was eventually identified through the medical examiner’s autopsy.
Atlanta police did not provide information about what led to the teenager’s arrest or the drug charges he is facing.
— Please return to AJC.com for updates.
In other news:
About the Author
Henri Hollis is a reporter and restaurant critic for the Food & Dining team. Formerly a freelance writer and photographer with a focus on food and restaurants, he joined the AJC full-time in January 2021, first covering breaking news. He is a lifelong Atlantan and a graduate of Georgia Tech.
