North Georgia teen charged as adult in high school student’s shooting death

ajc.com

A 16-year-old has been charged as an adult in the fatal shooting of a Rome High School student earlier this month, authorities said.

Je’vion Andrez Benham was charged with murder on Thursday, more than three weeks after rising junior Sincere Javier Estrada-Lopez was shot multiple times in northern Rome, police said.

Officers responded to the shooting about 7 p.m. on June 1. They attempted to save the 16-year-old, but he died of his injuries, the Rome News-Tribune reported.

Sincere Javier Estrada-Lopez

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It’s unclear what led to the deadly shooting.

Benham was arrested the following day on unrelated charges in Bartow County, authorities said. According to Rome police, he was 15 at the time of the shooting.

Benham remains held at the Rome Youth Detention Center as he awaits trial,

Assistant Police Chief Debbie Burnett said.

No additional information about the case has been released.

In other news: 

Going into budget negotiations, lawmakers were warned that state agencies across the board were likely going to have to make steep cuts.