A 6-year-old Gwinnett boy is expected to survive after being shot in the chest Saturday night at a neighborhood party, police said.
Whoever shot him remains on the lam.
Gwinnett County police responded to Cannonball Court near Lawrenceville around 6:15 p.m. Saturday, finding the child with a “small wound on his chest.” The boy was “able to walk and speak normally,” and his parents thought he had been shot by a pellet or BB gun, police said. He was taken to the hospital by his mother.
“The hospital determined that the victim’s injuries were more serious than originally thought,” Gwinnett County police Sgt. Jake Smith said in an emailed statement. “The victim had actually been shot by a small caliber bullet.”
The boy, whose identity was not released, was taken to Children’s at Egleston Pediatric Hospital in Atlanta. He was in stable condition Sunday evening and expected to survive, Smith said.
“Detectives have determined that the shooting took place at a party in the neighborhood where the victim lives,” Smith said. “No suspects are in custody and no charges have been filed.”
Neighbors told Channel 2 Action News that the shooting happened during a child's birthday party. The incident came just a day after a Gwinnett police say a 12-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed himself inside his Norcross-area home.
Anyone with information on Saturday’s shooting is asked to call Gwinnett police at 770-513-5300. Tipsters can also remain anonymous — and be eligible for rewards of up to $2,000 — by contacting Crime Stopperes at 404-577-TIPS or crimestoppersatlanta.org.
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