One person is in custody a day after a Jefferson High School football player was fatally shot outside a mall in Gwinnett County, officials said.
Elijah DeWitt, 18, was discovered Wednesday night in the parking lot of Sugarloaf Mills near Dave & Buster’s, Gwinnett police spokeswoman Officer Hideshi Valle said. Police believe he was shot multiple times shortly after 8:15 p.m.
Police said Thursday they do not believe the killing was random and announced one suspect had been apprehended out of state. The location of that arrest and the suspect’s name were not disclosed.
“I don’t have their exact relationships, but we think that some of the parties did know each other to some extent,” police spokesperson Sgt. J.R. Richter said.
DeWitt’s death left the Jackson County community “heartbroken,” Jefferson City Schools superintendent Donna R. McMullan said in an emailed statement.
“We extend our sincere condolences to the DeWitt family,” she said. “Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers during this time.”
The school system is on fall break, but McMullan said counselors and other support staff would be available to grieving students and staff as needed. His team announced DeWitt’s death Thursday morning on Twitter, asking for privacy out of respect for his family.
There is no varsity football game scheduled for this week, and Thursday’s practice was canceled.
DeWitt, a senior wide receiver, compiled nearly 600 receiving yards and five touchdowns in six games this season, according to the Athens Banner-Herald. He played his junior season at Prince Avenue Christian in Athens before transferring to Jefferson for his senior year.
No other details were released in DeWitt’s killing. Valle said they were working to obtain surveillance footage from the nearby businesses.
Just three days prior, a 17-year-old boy was shot and killed during a neighborhood basketball game in Gwinnett, police said. Timothy Buchanan was found by police on the community court in the Bramlett Shoals subdivision. No arrests have been made in that case.
Anyone with information on either case is asked to contact Gwinnett detectives at 770-513-5300. Tipsters can remain anonymous, and be eligible for rewards of up to $2,000, by contacting Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477, texting information to 274637 or visiting the Crime Stoppers website.
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