Current:Home > Stocks16-year-old brother fatally shot months after US airman Roger Fortson was killed by deputy -GrowthInsight
16-year-old brother fatally shot months after US airman Roger Fortson was killed by deputy
View
Date:2025-04-14 18:10:15
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 tardrey@gannett.com.
veryGood! (66536)
Related
- Current, future North Carolina governor’s challenge of power
- Helene's brutal toll: At least 100 dead; states struggling to recover. Live updates
- College football Week 5 overreactions: Georgia is playoff trouble? Jalen Milroe won Heisman?
- Helene rainfall map: See rain totals around southern Appalachian Mountains
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- Ariana Grande Claps Back at the Discourse Around Her Voice, Cites Difference for Male Actors
- ‘SNL’ 50th season premiere gets more than 5M viewers, its best opener since 2020
- Martin Short Details Nervous First Day on Only Murders Set with Meryl Streep
- In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
- Britney Spears Shares She Burned Off Hair, Eyelashes and Eyebrows in Really Bad Fire Accident
Ranking
- Nearly 400 USAID contract employees laid off in wake of Trump's 'stop work' order
- Ariana Grande defends Ethan Slater, slams 'evil' tabloids for relationship coverage
- World Central Kitchen, Hearts with Hands providing food, water in Asheville
- Biltmore Estate: What we know in the aftermath of Helene devastation in Asheville
- The Louvre will be renovated and the 'Mona Lisa' will have her own room
- Wisconsin prisons agree to help hearing-impaired inmates under settlement
- Pete Rose, baseball’s banned hits leader, has died at age 83
- Everything We Loved in September: Shop the Checkout Staff’s Favorite Products
Recommendation
Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
Angelina Jolie Drops Legal Case Over 2016 Brad Pitt Plane Incident
Judge strikes down Georgia ban on abortions, allowing them to resume beyond 6 weeks into pregnancy
John Deere recalls compact utility tractors, advises owners to stop use immediately
'Vanderpump Rules' star DJ James Kennedy arrested on domestic violence charges
Man is sentenced to 35 years for shooting 2 Jewish men as they left Los Angeles synagogues
Dikembe Mutombo, NBA Center Legend, Dead at 58 After Cancer Battle
NBA players, coaches, GMs react to Dikembe Mutombo's death: 'He made us who we are.'