Cops: Spalding teen shot grandmother in the back
A Spalding County teenager has been arrested on a charge that he shot his grandmother.
Douglas Patrick Ward, 18, shot his grandmother in the back on May 20, Capt. Tony Ranieri, chief investigator for the Spalding County Sheriff's Department, told the AJC.
The woman, who asked authorities not to release her name, spent a short time in the hospital and was home recovering, Ranieri said Wednesday.
Ward was taken into custody immediately after the shooting, which occurred at his grandmother's home in the 1900 block of North Walkersmill Road. He was charged a day later after investigators determined that his statements did not mesh with the evidence, Ranieri said.
The sheriff's department recovered the gun, bullets and shell casings, Ranieri said.
Ward was taken to the Spalding County Jail and charged with aggravated assault family violence. He also was charged with tampering with evidence and obstruction, but Ranieri would not say why.
When asked whether Ward had confessed, the captain said the 18-year-old "kinda sorta" admitted to the crime.
"Of course," Ranieri added, "nobody wants to come out and say ‘Yeah, I shot my grandma.'"
About the Author
Ty Tagami is a staff writer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Since joining the newspaper in 2002, he has written about everything from hurricanes to homelessness. He has deep experience covering local government and education, and can often be found under the Gold Dome when lawmakers meet or in a school somewhere in the state.
