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14-year-old killed in southeast Atlanta shooting
A gunman shot and killed a 14-year-old boy behind a southeast Atlanta strip mall early Sunday morning, sparking an active police hunt for suspects as a grieving neighborhood mourns a dedicated youth volunteer.
ATLANTA - A gunman killed a 14-year-old boy behind a southeast Atlanta strip mall early Sunday morning, leaving neighbors in deep grief as investigators search for suspects.
What we know:
One youth mentor says the 14-year-old boy who was shot and killed behind a southeast Atlanta strip mall early Sunday morning was dedicated to serving the community.
That mentor, Joel Carrick, identified the teen as Sire Reeves, whom he had mentored for years.
Atlanta police had no updates on the case when FOX 5 asked on Monday, only calling the investigation "open and active."
What we know:
Atlanta police officers said they responded to a vacant lot behind a strip mall near the intersection of Flat Shoals Rd and Fayetteville Rd SE around 1:05 a.m. Sunday.
When they got there, they said they found the teen with multiple gunshot wounds.
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Officers said they attempted to stabilize the boy at the scene until the ambulance arrived.
Medics transported the teen to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he died from his injuries.
What they're saying:
On Monday, youth mentor Joel Carrick posted a heartbreaking tribute to Reeves on his Instagram account.
"For the past several years, Sire was always willing to help," Carrick wrote in the caption of the post. "I don't know why these terrible things happen, and life can be so unfair, but he will never be forgotten. I have no answer to why stuff like this can happen, and I just wish I could do something about it. He was very close to so many of the other kids, and I can't imagine how this must be hurting them all."
A makeshift memorial with two poster boards covered in tributes now sits outside a storefront near the scene of the shooting.
One of the handwritten messages reads, "God is forever with him. So are we. R.I.P."
Another, "Forever Fourteen."
A nearby parent expressed the profound grief gripping the neighborhood after the incident.
"We need to put these guns down, man," the parent said. "Too many of our young kids are dying for nothing."
What we don't know:
Investigators have to figure out what led up to the shooting. Surveillance footage from nearby businesses will be critical for them.
APD has not disclosed whether detectives have any suspects or persons of interest they are speaking with.
The Source: This story is based on original reporting from FOX 5's Rob DiRienzo. Information came from Atlanta police statements and a social media post from a youth mentor who worked closely with the victim.