Current:Home > Stocks16-year-old brother fatally shot months after US airman Roger Fortson was killed by deputy -MoneyStream
16-year-old brother fatally shot months after US airman Roger Fortson was killed by deputy
View
Date:2025-04-11 21:59:51
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! (91)
Related
- FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
- ICHCOIN Trading Center - The Launching Base for Premium Tokens and ICOs
- Maine governor tells residents to stay off the roads as some rivers continue rising after storm
- A Frederick Douglass mural in his hometown in Maryland draws some divisions
- Trump suggestion that Egypt, Jordan absorb Palestinians from Gaza draws rejections, confusion
- AP PHOTOS: Young Kenyan ballet dancers stage early Christmas performance for their community
- Survivor Season 45 Crowns Its Winner
- Ohio prosecutor says he’s duty bound to bring miscarriage case to a grand jury
- FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
- Romance scammer who posed as St. Louis veterinarian gets 3 years in federal prison after woman loses $1.1 million
Ranking
- Stamford Road collision sends motorcyclist flying; driver arrested
- EU countries agree on compromise for overhaul of bloc’s fiscal rules
- Oregon's drug decriminalization law faces test amid fentanyl crisis
- Rite Aid used AI facial recognition tech. Customers said it led to racial profiling.
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- The Denver Zoo didn't know who the father of a baby orangutan was. They called in Maury Povich to deliver the paternity test results
- Minnesota program to provide free school meals for all kids is costing the state more than expected
- In 2023, opioid settlement funds started being paid out. Here's how it's going
Recommendation
The 401(k) millionaires club keeps growing. We'll tell you how to join.
Suriname’s ex-dictator sentenced to 20 years in prison for the 1982 killings of political opponents
Federal agency wants to fine Wisconsin sawmill $1.4 million for violations found after teen’s death
Justice Department sues Texas developer accused of luring Hispanic homebuyers into predatory loans
The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
Newly released video shows how police moved through UNLV campus in response to reports of shooting
5 more boats packed with refugees approach Indonesia’s shores, air force says
Dollarizing Argentina