Two teenagers have been arrested in South Carolina, charged with murder, and will be extradited in connection with the death of Georgia high school football star Elijah DeWitt, who was found shot in a mall parking lot.
DeWitt, 18, was found dead on the ground with gunshot wounds Wednesday evening around 8:15 p.m. in the parking lot of Sugarloaf Mills Mall in Gwinnett County, Georgia, near a Dave & Buster’s arcade, authorities said.
The Gwinnett County Police Department announced Friday two teens from Lawrenceville, Georgia, were arrested in South Carolina.
Kemare Bryan, 18, and Chandler Zion Richardson, 19, were charged with felony murder, malice murder, aggravated assaulted and possession of a firearm during the commission of certain felonies in connection with DeWitt’s death, police said.
They will be extradited from the custody of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office to Gwinnett County, police said. As of Tuesday morning, they were still detained in South Carolina.
The suspects were arrested after deputies in South Carolina tracked down a white Mini Cooper at a QuikTrip gas station along Highway 76, and detectives spent hours interviewing both suspects, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office said.
Lawyer information for the pair was not immediately available.
Any possible motive behind the shooting still remains a mystery.
Gwinnett County Police said that it appears that the suspects and DeWitt “were familiar with each other.”
“When they encountered each other in the parking lot, an altercation took place and then the shooting,” police said.
DeWitt was a senior at Jefferson High School and star wide receiver on the school’s football team.
The team said in a tribute on social media it was “heartbroken as we mourn the loss of one of our own, Elijah DeWitt.”
“The DeWitt family is in our thoughts and prayers. We appreciate your understanding as we respect the family’s privacy during this time,” the statement said.
DeWitt’s mother Dawn described her son as a “gentle giant” who wanted to play college football.
“He really just encompassed that dream and nothing seemed to ever stand in his way” Dawn DeWitt said to NBC affiliate WXIA of Atlanta. “He loved football, he was ready and willing to do whatever it takes to go D1, that was his ultimate goal.”
She said that Elijah died on his father’s birthday.
“He was so full of life and love and he was courageous,” she said. “It really was a privilege to be a part of the journey and I really wish I could just have it back.”
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
