Teen football star found shot to death outside Georgia mall, cops say. ‘Devastating’
UPDATE: On Oct. 7, Gwinnett County police announced that two men are facing charges in the death of Elijah DeWitt. Kemare Bryan, 18, and Chandler Richardson, 19, are charged “with felony murder, malice murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of certain felonies,” officers said.
Police in their news release didn’t list attorney information for Bryan and Richardson, who were in custody in South Carolina. Though the case is still under investigation, officials said the two might have known DeWitt and gotten into a fight with him before the shooting.
The original story is below.
A 17-year-old star football player was found shot to death outside a mall, sparking a search for clues in Georgia, officials said.
Elijah DeWitt was a wide receiver who made his mark on the Jefferson High School football team. But police said the teen’s life was cut short when he was shot multiple times in nearby Gwinnett County.
“It’s devastating,” Travis Noland, the school’s head football coach, told WXIA. “One of his best friends is our quarterback and that’s who called me to tell me, crying. It’s just one of those things that you don’t wanna ever have to live through again.”
The Gwinnett Police Department said officers were called to a report of someone being shot on Wednesday, Oct. 5. At about 8:15 p.m., officers responded to the Sugarloaf Mills shopping complex in Lawrenceville, roughly 30 miles northeast of Atlanta.
“Upon arrival, officers located Dewitt deceased on the ground in the parking lot with gunshot wounds,” police wrote in a news release.
Now, police say they are investigating the case as a homicide. Officials told McClatchy News that they were “exploring all motives” but hadn’t named a suspect.
Meanwhile, DeWitt’s team remembered their beloved teammate on social media.
“The Jefferson High School Football program is heartbroken as we mourn the loss of one of our own, Elijah DeWitt,” the team wrote Oct. 6 on Twitter. “The DeWitt family is in our thoughts and prayers.”
DeWitt was a senior wide receiver for the Dragons. Last month, he completed an impressive touchdown catch and averaged “more than 100 receiving yards per game,” according to WAGA and Athens Banner-Herald reporter McClain Baxley.
Anyone with information about the teen’s death is urged call police at 770-513-5300. Those with anonymous tips can also call Crime Stoppers at 404-577-8477 or submit them online at stopcrimeatl.com.
This story was originally published October 6, 2022 at 1:19 PM with the headline "Teen football star found shot to death outside Georgia mall, cops say. ‘Devastating’."
