The Douglas County Board of Commissioners has pledged to double the reward for information leading to the arrest of a suspect accused of fatally shooting two teenagers over the weekend, bringing the total amount to $40,000.
At a Monday news conference after a weekend shooting that also injured seven others, law enforcement leaders again pleaded with their community to help bring an end to the teen violence that has plagued their county in recent years.
The shooting happened late Saturday night at an out-of-control house party on Sitka Drive near Douglasville, Douglas sheriff’s office spokesman Capt. John Mooney said. At least nine people were shot, including two who were found dead at the scene by responding deputies.
Mooney identified the two teens killed as 15-year-old Samuel Moon, a 10th grader at Lithia Springs High School, and 14-year-old Ajanaye Hill, who was in the ninth grade at Douglas County High School.
The seven others injured ranged in age from 14-19, Mooney said. Some were taken to the hospital from the scene and others arrived in private vehicles. Deputies took statements from more than 80 witnesses in the aftermath of the incident, Mooney said, but he and other officials asked for more witnesses to come forward.
Sheriff Tim Pounds offered a reward of $20,000 for information leading to an arrest in the case. A day later, the board of commissioners announced it would double that amount.
“Our first and foremost concern in Douglas County is the safety of our citizens. We also want to express prayers for the others wounded at the event and will do everything possible to support Sheriff Pounds and the investigation of this heinous crime,” the board said in a statement.
According to Mooney, the incident began when the party began to rapidly grow beyond the homeowners’ control. They tried to shut down the party after they smelled marijuana and decided the gathering had grown too large, he said. Just moments later, shots were fired about 50 yards up the road, Mooney said.
Teen violence has become a persistent issue in Douglas County in recent years. A shooting at a party on New Year’s Eve in 2021 left 15-year-old Landon Smith dead, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported. Like Hill, Saturday’s 14-year-old victim, Smith was a student at Douglas County High. Five teenage suspects were arrested in connection with Smith’s killing.
In July, a 17-year-old was shot and killed near a Douglasville city park, the AJC reported. Another 17-year-old and his mother were arrested in connection with that shooting. The following month, a 16-year-old boy was killed during a drug deal turned robbery at Arbor Place mall, according to police. Two 17-year-olds and another 16-year-old were arrested on charges related to the killing.
Local leaders called another emotional news conference in September after a gathering of hundreds of people, mostly teenagers, erupted into a huge brawl at Arbor Place. At least 25 people were arrested after the fight, including a teen and his mother, who was accused of providing false names for both her and her son, the AJC reported.
Pounds and District Attorney Dalia Racine, who were both at last year’s news conference addressing the Arbor Place melee, again begged the community for help getting teen violence under control.
“We must figure out the root cause of children killing children,” Pounds said.
“We deserve better as a community,” Racine said, calling the situation “an all-out assault on our children.”
“I’m not just saying this as a prosecutor, but as a mother of children the same age as these precious babies who were killed,” Racine said. “We need anyone with information to come forward.”
On a GoFundMe page created to help cover funeral costs for Hill, the 14-year-old’s mother said the incident was the result of “uninvited guests” becoming belligerent.
“Shots were fired and Ajanaye was struck in the back of the head as she was running away,” Chanell White, Hill’s mother, wrote on the fundraising page.
“She loved to dance, sing, create Tik Toks and love on her friends and family. She had aspirations of becoming an attorney,” White said about her daughter.
The case remains open and investigators with the sheriff’s office have asked additional witnesses and anyone else with information to call 770-920-7139.
— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
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