The search continued Tuesday for the 18-year-old accused of shooting and killing a 16-year-old, according to Lawrenceville police.

Officers were called Saturday to Northside Gwinnett Hospital in reference to a shooting patient. The teenager was pronounced dead a short time later, police said.

An investigation later identified Malachi Matthew Perkins as the suspect, the agency said in a news release. No details were available Tuesday about a possible motive in the case, according to Lt. Jake Parker.

According to family members, the boy killed was Davone Burnett. His sister created a GoFundMe page to assist the family.

“We are trying to raise money for his funeral,” the fundraising page states. “Anything will help.”

Police have obtained five arrest warrants, including felony murder, for Perkins, who was not in custody Tuesday afternoon.

Authorities said Perkins should be considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call 911.

In other news:

About the Authors

Featured

Fulton DA Fani Willis (center) with Nathan J. Wade (right), the special prosecutor she hired to manage the Trump case and had a romantic relationship with, at a news conference announcing charges against President-elect Donald Trump and others in Atlanta, Aug. 14, 2023. Georgia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, upheld an appeals court's decision to disqualify Willis from the election interference case against Trump and his allies. (Kenny Holston/New York Times)

Credit: NYT