2 teens arrested in Florida, accused in fatal Gwinnett market shooting
Two 16-year-olds were arrested in Florida in connection with a shooting Wednesday evening at a Gwinnett County market that left another 16-year-old dead and a teenage girl injured, police said.
The two teenage suspects, a boy from Lilburn and a girl from Lawrenceville, were taken into custody by sheriff’s deputies in Fort Walton, Gwinnett police spokesman Sgt. Jennifer Richter announced Friday morning. The suspects, who will be charged as juveniles, each face counts of malice murder, felony murder and aggravated assault.
The teens will be held in the Walton County Jail in Florida until they can be extradited, Richter said.
The shooting took place in the parking lot of the La Mexicana Supermarket at 745 Beaver Ruin Road, just outside Lilburn, police said. Officers were called to the location around 7:30 p.m. and found a 17-year-old girl suffering from a gunshot wound.
Investigators later discovered that a second victim, Ryan Rodriguez Romero of Peachtree Corners, had also been shot, police said in a statement. He drove himself away from the scene, and his vehicle was found a short distance away on Vernon Street. Romero was pronounced dead inside the car, police said.
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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.
