2-year-old girl shot and killed in Georgia, cops say. Now 16-year-old is arrested
A 2-year-old Georgia girl is dead, and police have arrested a teenager accused of shooting her.
A 16-year-old boy was charged with second-degree murder in connection with the Aug. 29 shooting that killed toddler Lauren Barton at a home in Savannah, police said in a news release. Officers arrived around 4:30 p.m. and found the girl with a gunshot wound.
Barton was taken to a hospital where she died, according to police.
Neighbors were shocked by the news of the girl’s death and expressed sympathy for the family.
“Nobody should be losing their child,” Robert Stipeck told WTOC. “I mean, parents should not have to bury their children.”
“I feel bad for them, because their child has been taken away,” fellow neighbor Thomas Cribbs told the news station. “You can’t bring them back.”
The 16-year-old, who authorities haven’t named, ran after the incident but was arrested a short time later, according to police. He was booked into a juvenile detention center on a count of murder and cruelty to children.
The families of the child and the teen said the shooting was accidental, but authorities haven’t confirmed that detail, WTOC reported.
Police said the investigation is ongoing.
This story was originally published August 31, 2022 at 11:26 AM with the headline "2-year-old girl shot and killed in Georgia, cops say. Now 16-year-old is arrested."