Current:Home > Invest16-year-old brother fatally shot months after US airman Roger Fortson was killed by deputy-VaTradeCoin
16-year-old brother fatally shot months after US airman Roger Fortson was killed by deputy
View Date:2025-01-08 15:50:07
Months after U.S. Air Force senior airman Roger Fortson was gunned down by a Florida deputy, his 16-year-old brother was killed as a result of a shooting in Georgia.
Andre Fortson was fatally shot on Wednesday at Summit Hill Apartments in DeKalb County, which is just east of Atlanta. When officers got to the scene just before 10:00 p.m. local time, they discovered the victim in a breezeway with gunshot wounds, a DeKalb Police spokesperson told USA TODAY.
Police arrested a suspected shooter, identified as 20-year-old Quintavious Zellner. Jail records show that he was charged with aggravated assault.
In their initial investigation, detectives determined that "two groups of subjects were shooting at each other" for an unknown reason, according to police.
Community members told WSB-TV they overheard gunfire before cars skirted off the scene. An injured Andre was left behind as a neighbor tried to help him.
“I tried to save him, doing CPR because I couldn’t save him," a neighbor, identified only as Jaqueia, told the outlet, describing Andre as a "really good boy. He was never disrespectful, never saw him in any altercations, or anything like that."
Roger Fortson news:Body of US airman fatally shot by Florida deputy returned to Georgia ahead of funeral
Roger Fortson was killed by a deputy in May
The death of Andre comes as the family is grappling with the death of Fortson in early May. Eddie Duran, who was terminated from the Okaloosa County County Sheriff's Office, was identified as the deputy involved.
On May 3, Duran responded to a Fort Walton Beach apartment complex after receiving a call about an apparent disturbance.
Duran's body camera footage shows that he knocked on Fortson's apartment door three times and announced he was with the sheriff's office. Fortson opened the door while holding a gun in his right hand and pointed down. The deputy said, "step back," and then shot Fortson.
"I want justice for my child. You're not going to throw me a bone. Take his credentials. Take his pension," his mother, Chantemekki Fortson, said at a news conference.
During the investigation, the sheriff's office found that Duran's use of force "was not objectively reasonable and therefore violated agency policy."
Fortson's body was delivered to his family in Atlanta prior to his funeral.
Family attorney requests privacy for the family during this 'impossible time'
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump confirmed the passing of the family member in a statement on Wednesday.
"The Fortson family is battling the loss of yet another young member of their family. This has been an incredibly challenging time for them with the loss of Roger," the statement said. "Losing the life of yet another young family member – a mere child – has been an absolute devastation. We are asking the media and the public for privacy and space during this impossible time.”
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at [email protected].
veryGood! (87169)
Related
- Mark Zuckerberg Records NSFW Song Get Low for Priscilla Chan on Anniversary
- Sean “Diddy” Combs Accused of Abusing Minors Amid New Allegations
- ChatGPT maker OpenAI raises $6.6 billion in fresh funding as it moves away from its nonprofit roots
- Baseball legend Pete Rose's cause of death revealed
- RHOBH's Erika Jayne Reveals Which Team She's on Amid Kyle Richards, Dorit Kemsley Feud
- Hawaii’s popular Kalalau Trail reopens after norovirus outbreak
- Opinion: If you think Auburn won't fire Hugh Freeze in Year 2, you haven't been paying attention
- 11 workers at a Tennessee factory were swept away in Hurricane Helene flooding. Only 5 were rescued
- Kansas basketball vs Michigan State live score updates, highlights, how to watch Champions Classic
- Why status of Pete Rose's 'lifetime' ban from MLB won't change with his death
Ranking
- Britney Spears reunites with son Jayden, 18, after kids moved in with dad Kevin Federline
- Atlanta rapper Rich Homie Quan died from an accidental drug overdose, medical examiner says
- Doctor charged in connection with Matthew Perry’s death is expected to plead guilty
- Nobody Wants This Creator Erin Foster Addresses Possibility of Season 2
- Sydney Sweeney Slams Women Empowerment in the Industry as Being Fake
- Carlos Alcaraz fights back to beat Jannik Sinner in China Open final
- Environmental group tries to rebuild sinking coastline with recycled oysters
- Lauryn Hill sued by Fugees' Pras Michel for fraud and breach of contract after tour cancellation
Recommendation
-
Arbitrator upholds 5-year bans of Bad Bunny baseball agency leaders, cuts agent penalty to 3 years
-
'Pure electricity': Royals on verge of MLB playoff series win after Cole Ragans gem
-
Video shows Russian fighter jet in 'unsafe' maneuver just feet from US Air Force F-16
-
Queen Elizabeth II Battled Bone Cancer, Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson Says
-
Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul VIP fight package costs a whopping $2M. Here's who bought it.
-
Price gouging, fraud, ID theft: Feds say scammers set sights on Hurricane Helene victims
-
The Sports Bra announces partnership with LA women's soccer club for streaming channel
-
Texas prison system’s staffing crisis and outdated technology endanger guards and inmates