Two juveniles charged in shooting
Dec. 12—VALDOSTA — Two juveniles are being held on charges related to a Sunday shooting that injured a woman, police said.
At 2:45 p.m., officers were called to the 1600 block of Lexington Circle after E911 received calls that someone had been shot, according to a Valdosta Police Department statement. Officers found a 53-year-old woman with a gunshot wound to the torso. They provided first aid until EMTs arrived; the woman was taken to South Georgia Medical Center.Witnesses described two suspects; an officer saw one suspect, a 14-year-old Lowndes County boy and tried to stop him. The boy ran but was caught after a foot chase, police said. A firearm was found near him, police added.
An officer found the other suspect, a 15-year-old Valdosta boy, on Diana Drive and took him into custody without incident, police said. Both boys are charged with felony aggravated assault, felony possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and misdemeanor possession of a firearm by a minor, the police statement said.
The woman has been released from the hospital. The boys are being held at a regional youth detention center, police said. "Our thoughts go out to this victim, who has a long road to recovery. These two juveniles acted recklessly with no regard for their actions. I am proud of the work of our responding officers by locating these offenders so quickly and ensuring they will be held accountable for their actions," Police Chief Leslie Manahan said in a statement.
Terry Richards is the senior reporter for The Valdosta Daily Times.
