The Fulton County Medical Examiners Office in Georgia has released the identities of the two young boys killed in what officials referred to as a shootout over a dispute on social media.
Justin Powell was identified as the 16-year-old victim.
“This is the third child his mother is burying,” a relative of Justin’s said. “How much more is a mother, a family expected to take?”
Malik Grover, Powell’s best friend, was identified as the 14-year-old who was shot and killed that night.
The two boys were the fatal victims of a shooting near an apartment complex on the 3000 block of Continental Colony Parkway in southwest Atlanta Saturday night. Police said they were both found dead at the scene.
Justin’s relatives spoke to local news anonymously to preserve her safety. She said there had been failed attempts to get the 16-year-old help as he had gotten caught up with the wrong crowd.
“I would like to see some type of programs for our children, not where someone is saying go throw a basketball,” she said. “They need some life skills. They need some coping skills. We need them to learn how to communicate.”
Atlanta police say teenagers were involved in shootout on Continental Colony Parkway
Atlanta police deliver an update on a fatal shootout that killed two teenagers on Continental Colony Parkway Saturday night.
That night, the Atlanta Police Department was joined by the Atlanta Public Schools Police Department to investigate the incident.
Besides Justin and Malik, three other youths were injured in the shooting and taken to a local hospital to recover. These victims included an 11-year-old boy, a 15-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl.
“This is a group of boys on both sides who don’t understand the gravity of when you take someone’s loved one, you don’t just kill them and they’re gone. There are people left behind,” Justin’s relative said.
Police returned to the scene Sunday night setting up a command unit to make their presence known.
“Gun violence has become the leading cause of death for adolescents in the United States,” Mayor Andre Dickens said in a statement about the incident posted to Twitter on Sunday.
“While we avoided youth violence over the summer and early fall, these last few weeks have shown all too clearly that Atlanta is not immune from this unacceptable trend.,” he added.
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