Man arrested after teen brother finds his gun, is shot to death, police say
Two boys called their older brother after finding his gun in their Gwinnett County home, according to police.
Almauri Drummond, 21, of Forest Park, told his brothers to hide the firearm from their father. But when one of the boys was then shot to death, Drummond was charged with murder, Gwinnett police said Friday.
It was the second time in a matter of days that an unintentional shooting killed a metro Atlanta teenager, according to police. On Thursday, Atlanta police charged a man accused of killing a 14-year-old while mishandling a gun.
In the Gwinnett case, Drummond’s brothers called him from their Norcross-area home Jan. 8, according to police.
“The juveniles later sent Drummond a video showing them firing the weapon in their backyard,” police said in a statement. “Drummond only instructed the juveniles to hide the firearm from their father. At no point did Drummond attempt to notify an adult or take steps to secure the firearm and remove it from the juveniles’ access.”
At some point, the gun discharged, killing Carter Drummond, his older brother’s arrest warrants state. Carter was 13, according to a GoFundMe page created by his father, Eric.
“Carter was my baby,” the fundraising page states. “He was full of life, curiosity and promise. At 13 years old, he was still learning who he was going to be, still dreaming, still growing. He had a smile that stayed with you and a presence that filled the room. He deserved the chance to grow up. He deserved a future.”
On Wednesday, investigators secured arrest warrants for Almauri Drummond, court records show. He was charged with second-degree murder, second-degree child cruelty and reckless conduct, then booked into the Gwinnett jail the same day. Drummond was being held without bond Friday afternoon, according to jail records.
“Firearm ownership is a serious responsibility,” Gwinnett police said. “When firearms are not handled or stored in a way that prevents access by children, the consequences can be tragic, and individuals may face criminal charges depending on the circumstances.”
On the fundraising page created to assist with his son’s funeral costs, Eric Drummond wrote that he previously lost a child.
“This pain is unimaginable, but what makes it even harder to put into words is that this is not the first time I have buried a son,” the page states. “No parent should ever have to endure this kind of loss once, let alone twice.”
