Dameko Tyrekies Boswell (Newton County Sheriff's Office)
COVINGTON, Ga. - A teenager will serve at least 30 years of a life sentence after pleading guilty Thursday to a July 2023 ambush that killed a 15-year-old boy in Covington.
Covington police investigation
What we know:
Dameko Tyrekies Boswell pleaded guilty Thursday to multiple charges, including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and theft by receiving stolen property, according to the Alcovy Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office.
On July 31, 2023, around 1 a.m., 15-year-old Larry Simmons was walking with two other young men near Nixon Circle and Johnson Drive. Boswell approached the group from behind and fired at least four times.
Simmons died after he was shot three times in the back. Surveillance video from the Housing Authority properties captured much of the incident.
Larry Simmons (Office of the District Attorney for the Alcovy Judicial Circuit)
Covington police officers were already canvasing the area due to a different fatal shooting from the prior night. Officers heard the gunshots, quickly responded and found Simmons.
Boswell ran to a nearby apartment belonging to a family member. He hid his hoodie and the firearm under a blanket in a bedroom.
Law enforcement recovered the weapon that same night. The handgun had recently been reported stolen from a car break-in.
Testing by the GBI Crime Lab later confirmed that Boswell's DNA was on the weapon and verified it was the firearm used in the murder.
Boswell, who was 16 at the time of the crime, was sentenced to life in prison. He will not be eligible for parole until he serves 30 years.
The case was originally scheduled to go to trial during the week of July 13.
Housing authority shooting aftermath
What they're saying:
"This is yet another case of youth gun violence leading to terrible consequences," District Attorney Randy McGinley said. "A 16-year-old is walking around at 1 am with a gun and ambushes three other young men, killing one of them."
McGinley added that the plea gives Larry Simmons' family closure without having to sit through a trial. He also urged parents to know what their children are doing late at night and on social media.
"Prosecutors, law enforcement, community leaders, etc. can do a lot to help with this issue, but it begins and ends in the home," McGinley said.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Office of the District Attorney of the Alcovy Judicial Circuit, who explained how we got it through an official press release detailing the court plea, as well as investigation details from the Covington Police Department and the GBI Crime Lab.