A young man was shot dead at a mall parking lot while he was out on a date with his girlfriend.
18-year-old Elijah DeWitt from Georgia was an aspiring football star and a Jefferson High School student who was visiting Sugarloaf Mills Mall in Lawrenceville with his girlfriend, Bailey Reidling, on October 5.
During their visit to Dave & Buster’s, DeWitt reportedly got into an altercation with two other teenagers, 18-year-old Kemare Bryan and 19-year-old Chandler Richardson.
During the confrontation at the parking lot, the young footballer was shot dead. Both Bryan and Richardson were arrested after the shooting.
While the motive for the killing remains unclear, it is believed that the suspects may have known the victim prior to the incident.
“Detectives are still working to investigate the motive behind this incident, it appears that the suspects and the victim were familiar with each other and when they encountered each other in the parking lot, an altercation took place and then the shooting,” the Gwinnett Police Department revealed in a statement.
Meanwhile, one witness was quoted recalling the harrowing moment Reidling was left screaming and crying after her boyfriend was shot dead in a 911 call.
“I was at Dave & Buster’s, I heard people screaming, I look towards my right, and I see someone lay down. I’ve never seen anything like this, man,” the onlooker told the 911 dispatcher in a call obtained by Fox News.
As of this writing, both suspects have been charged with aggravated assault and felony murder. They also face charges of possession of a firearm.
After the shocking murder, a vigil was held for Elijah with as many as one hundred people gathering and lighting candles to honor the late student.
“Definitely the worst day of my life. His life just came completely to a screeching halt in seconds,” the teen’s mom, Dawn Erwitt, told Fox News.
“He loved football, he was ready and willing to do whatever it takes to go D1, that was his ultimate goal.”
Our thoughts are with Elijah’s family during this challenging time.
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