Police Arrest Suspect In The October Shooting Of Georgia Teenager

An 18-year-old was arrested and charged Wednesday with the murder of a Georgia teenager in October, Gwinnett County police said.

Shamuel Benjamin was arrested by the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office for the shooting of 17-year-old Timothy Buchanan on Oct. 2 in a basketball court at Lawrenceville, a Georgia subdivision.

Benjamin reportedly faces charges of felony murder, aggravated assault, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, and firearm possession. He was booked in Gwinnett County Jail, Fox News reported.

The two teenagers met to complete a drug transaction, according to deputies.

Buchanan was found shot dead on October 2 near a subdivision’s basketball court, according to Gwinnett Police. The officers were dispatched at approximately 4:00 p.m. upon receiving a report of a person shot at the Bramlett Shoals subdivision.

The police said the perpetrator fled the scene immediately after firing, WSB-TV reported.

“Detectives do have several leads on this case, so they are following up on that now as we speak,” Sergeant Jenniger Richter of the Gwinnett County Police Department said during the initial investigation, Fox5 reported.

The homicide investigators interviewed people who lived near the basketball court, including kids who may have been outside at the time the incident happened.

Neighbors were surprised about the violence. “They were just being kids playing basketball. You didn’t think they were packing,” Justin, a neighbor who lives near the crime spot told Fox 5.

Over a month ago, a 16-year-old suspect was arrested in connection to the shooting of a 15-year-old, WJCL reported.

The victim, identified as Junior Hampton, was found by the police at a home on Ponderosa Drive; he was suffering from gunshot wounds.

Junior was taken to South Georgia Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead.

The suspect was immediately taken into custody the following day. He, name withheld by the police, was detained at a Regional Youth Detention Center on the charges of malice murder-felony, felony murder-felony, aggravated assault-felony, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, felony and possession of a handgun by a person under the age of 18. Additional charges are pending.

“This incident is heartbreaking and our condolences go out to the victim’s family. This senseless act of violence has affected many lives, it should have never occurred,” said Valdosta Police Chief Leslie Manahan.