22-year-old arrested after teen shot and killed in Jonesboro shopping center

Teen killed in shooting at Cobb County shopping plaza

A teenager has died after police say he was shot in a random act of violence in the parking lot of a Cobb County shopping center.

JONESBORO, Ga. - A 22-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a teenager at a shopping center in Clayton County.

What we know:

Yahiko West was taken into custody on Thursday afternoon and was charged with malice murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime, both felonies, according to Clayton County Police. He is being held in the Clayton County Jail.

The charges stem from Wednesday night’s shooting near the Kroger at the Lovejoy Village Shopping Center in Jonesboro, where 17-year-old Qi'Adrian Gordon was shot and killed. Police said they received a call about someone being shot around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 10,300 block of Tara Boulevard. FOX 5 Crews on scene saw a heavy police presence outside several businesses in the shopping center on Wednesday night. 

Surveillance images obtained by FOX 5 captured the deadly shooting. Witnesses reported hearing four gunshots and seeing a vehicle flee the scene. Investigators say the victim and the shooter did not know each other but had exchanged words before shots were fired.

Police investigate a call about someone being shot outside a shopping center in Jonesboro. 

What they're saying:

Troy Warren, an Instacart shopper who frequents the area, said he spoke to Gordon just hours before the shooting.

"I was just talking to him earlier yesterday. Shook his hand and everything, 17-year-old," Warren said. "From what I hear it was really about nothing. No real altercation, no real situation. Just talk."

A man who described himself as a close friend of Gordon’s, but asked not to be named for this story, said he wishes he had been there to prevent the violence.

"I just wish you know things would've been different last night. I actually wish I would’ve came here and maybe he would've been around my presence so I could've prevented things, you know," he said. "You wasn't a man at the end of the day because you chose violence."

Family members and friends gathered at a makeshift memorial near the scene on Thursday, mourning Gordon’s death and calling for an end to senseless violence.

What we don't know:

Authorities have not shared many details about the investigation but did say it appeared to be a random act of violence.

What you can do:

 If you have any information that could help with the investigation, call the Clayton County Police Department.