At a Shell service station in Georgia, nine children were injured by gunfire, including a five-year-old boy.
At approximately 10 p.m. on Friday, February 17, the Columbus Police Department got a call from a Shell gas station in Columbus, Georgia, about a shooting that injured several children.
According to Police Chief Freddie Blackmon, the incident began when a group of youths from a neighboring gathering got into an argument and went to the gas station.
During the brawl, seven boys and two girls were among those who sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Saturday during a press conference, Chief Blackmon revealed that responding officers brought the wounded to local hospitals, and that four of them had been treated and released.
According to the police chief, the oldest victim was a 17-year-old boy, and the youngest was a five-year-old kid.
Authorities stated that they were still investigating the incident and the preceding circumstances. Although the reason for the shooting remained unknown, there was no indication that the shooter or shooters had singled out the 5-year-old.
Blackmon claims that some witnesses cooperated with investigators while others did not.
Saturday, the police chief suggested that parents speak with their children to determine if they were in the area of the shooting, as well as gather more information about the shooting and provide it to authorities.
A week after the shooting, the police took two people into custody, including a teenager.
D’Angelo Robinson, Sr., 35, and a 15-year-old boy — who has not been publicly identified due to his age — were arrested on assault charges in Columbus, Georgia, on Friday, February 24, according to police.
Robinson is charged with eight counts of aggravated assault. The younger suspect, who police say has been identified as a confirmed gang member, faces a single count of aggravated assault.
According to authorities, additional charges are pending.
“The rash of gun violence involving our youth is impacting communities across the country,” Chief Blackmon said in a statement.
According to Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson, the incident was “horrific and unsettling,” especially given the ages of individuals involved.
The Georgia shooting is the 74th mass shooting in the United States this year, per the Gun Violence Archive.