A Gwinnett County police officer on routine patrol at an apartment complex Tuesday afternoon discovered an apparent homicide victim.

Some residents of the Columns at Paxton Apartments, near Lilburn, reported hearing gunshots just before the 19-year-old man's body was found, Cpl. Jake Smith with Gwinnett police said.

The courtesy officer for the apartments, located in the 4300 block of Paxton Lane, found the victim in a back breezeway at the complex, near Killian Hill Road and U.S. 78, Smith said.

The victim, identified as Angelo Larocca, did not live at the complex, Smith said. Investigators do believe he lived in Gwinnett County.

The investigation is continuing.

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Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez