A teenage girl is dead and a 16-year-old boy is charged with her murder after a shooting Saturday morning at a downtown Atlanta hotel, authorities said.
Police responded to the Hyatt Regency Atlanta on Peachtree Street about 12:30 a.m. after receiving calls about a person shot, Atlanta police spokesman Officer Anthony Grant told The Atlanta-Journal Constitution.
When officers arrived, they found an unconscious 16-year-old girl in the hotel lobby with a gunshot wound to the groin area, he said. She was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead. The teen was identified by the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office as Atlanta resident Kalecia Williams.
“Preliminary investigation suggests that the victim was inside of a room at the Hyatt Regency with a juvenile male companion, Grant said. ”A verbal dispute occurred between both parties which resulted in the juvenile male fatally shooting the victim.”
The teenage boy, who has not been identified, was taken into custody at the scene and interviewed at Atlanta police headquarters, authorities said. He was charged with felony murder, aggravated assault, reckless conduct and possession of a pistol by someone younger than 18.
He remains held at the Metro Regional Youth Detention Center. Police described the two teens as “acquaintances” and said they were the only people inside the hotel room at the time of the fatal shooting.
The teen’s shooting was one of three slayings reported across the city within 24 hours, pushing Atlanta’s homicide count to 154 for the year. Atlanta police investigated 99 homicides in all of 2019.
In an statement released Saturday afternoon, a spokesman for Hyatt said the safety of the hotel’s guests and employees is a top priority.
“We are saddened by the isolated situation that occurred at Hyatt Regency Atlanta early this morning, and our thoughts go out to those who have been affected,” the statement read. “The hotel is fully cooperating with local authorities with their investigation . . .”
No additional details have been released.
We’re working to learn more.
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