One week after a teenager was shot in front of an apartment building in Norcross, investigators in Gwinnett County are reaching out to the public in hopes that someone will come forward with information.

Detectives have few leads so far in Saturday night’s shooting of Fernando Palmillas. Witnesses told police they saw a man shoot the 17-year-old outside the Vida Apartments in the 1300 block of Graves Road about 9 p.m. and then flee the scene, according to Gwinnett police spokeswoman Hideshi Valle.

When officers arrived, they found Palmillas with a gunshot wound to the lower back. The Norcross teen, who was rushed to a hospital, survived his injuries and is now out of the hospital, Valle confirmed to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Witnesses were unable to provide police with an accurate description of the suspect, but investigators learned enough to find some information about him on social media, Valle said. They failed to discover his identity, but were able to obtain a photo from a Facebook page before it was deleted.

Police believe the man frequents the Norcross and Tucker areas, specifically Graves Road and Pine Drive. If captured, he will be charged with aggravated assault.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Gwinnett detectives at 770-513-5300. Tipsters can remain anonymous, and still be eligible for a reward, by contacting Crime Stoppers at 404-577-8477, texting information to 274637 or visiting the Crime Stoppers website.

About the Author

Keep Reading

A Home Depot logo sign hands on its facade in North Miami, Fla. The Vinings-based company plans to acquire specialty building products distributor GMS Inc. (AP FILE 2021)

Credit: AP

Featured

In 2022, Georgia Power projected its winter peak electricity demand would grow by about 400 megawatts by 2031. Since then, Georgia has experienced a boom of data centers, which require a large load of electricty to run, and Georgia Power's recent forecast shows peak demand growing by 20 times the 400-megawatt estimate from just three years ago. (Illustration by Philip Robibero/AJC)

Credit: Illustration: Philip Robibero / AJC