A teen accused of felony murder in the shooting death of Secoriea Turner walked into Atlanta police headquarters to turn himself in Wednesday afternoon.
Julian Conley, who is also charged with aggravated assault in the child’s death, reported to police headquarters at 4:30 p.m. along with his attorney Jackie Patterson. Conley will have a bond hearing on Thursday.
Patterson said he received word Wednesday morning that Conley, 19, had been formally charged in the fatal shooting.
“When you have a warrant out, you have to turn yourself in,” Patterson said. “So that’s what we are going to do.”
The announcement came as Secoriea’s family planned to celebrate her life in a private funeral. She was 8.
The rising third grader was killed a little after 9:30 p.m. July 4 when as many as four people opened fire on her mother’s SUV in a parking lot off University Avenue, police said.
The fatal shooting occurred across the street from the Wendy’s where Rayshard Brooks was killed by an Atlanta police officer last month. The restaurant, set on fire by protesters after Brooks’ shooting, was leveled Tuesday morning.
Conley came forward after Atlanta police circulated his photo on Sunday and said he was wanted for questioning in Secoriea’s death.
As he walked into police headquarters, Conley was seen carrying a plastic bag.
The teen on Monday said he had been at the scene of the shooting, but that he did not fire a weapon.
“At the end of the day, I had nothing to do with it,” Conley told Channel 2 Action News.
Patterson said Conley told him a man driving the SUV went through the barricade and hit a man who was armed with a rifle.
“And when that person fell to the ground, the person got up and started firing at that vehicle,” Patterson told the news station.
Patterson said his client does not know the shooter’s name, Channel 2 reported.
Atlanta police are still looking for the man identified as the first person of interest in the case.
Attorney Mawuli Davis, who represents the family, has said the reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for Secoriea’s shooting death has been increased to $50,000.
