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Family remembers teen killed by stray bullet
Parkview High student Sheldon Lewis was killed after a bullet traveled through a motel wall. Neighbor Shemarcus Cockran is charged with involuntary manslaughter.
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - The family of a Gwinnett County teenager is grappling with an unimaginable loss after a stray bullet fired through a motel room wall claimed the life of 17-year-old Sheldon Lewis.
The backstory:
The incident occurred around 11 p.m. Thursday at the Live In Lodge Extended Stay on Stone Mountain Highway, according to police. Lewis, an 11th-grade student at Parkview High School, was inside his family's room playing video games when a bullet traveled through the shared wall from the neighboring unit.
Gwinnett County police arrested Shemarcus Cockran, 31, who was staying in the room next to the Lewis family. Officers said Cockran told detectives he had recently returned from a gun range and was cleaning his firearm when it accidentally discharged. The bullet passed through the wall and struck Lewis, who died at the scene.
Cockran has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct.
What they're saying:
The Lewis family, who had been living at the extended-stay motel due to financial hardships, witnessed the shooting. "We were all there to witness it which makes it more traumatic than it seems," said Tomyia Lewis, Sheldon’s sister. "Like a phone call would've been easier to process, but actually witnessing it and him taking his last breaths was hard to see."
Lewis is remembered as a passionate young man who dreamed of becoming a chef.
What you can do:
The family is currently staying in a different hotel to escape the site of the tragedy as Sheldon’s mother continues to battle cancer. The Lewis family has started a GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses.
The Source: This is a FOX 5 original report from Annie Mapp who spoke with the family of Lewis. Information about the shooting came from the Gwinnett County Police Department.