Crime

16-year-old Macon boy was shot to death during gun deal that went bad, cops say

A Macon teen who was shot to death Monday on the city’s west side had gone to sell a handgun in the moments before he was fatally wounded, police said Tuesday.

Sheriff’s officials said investigators have since arrested two teens, both charged as adults, who are accused in the shootings: 15-year-old Micah Franklin and 17-year-old Jaqaundre Burden. Both face murder and aggravated assault charges.

Early Monday afternoon, 16-year-old Elijah Jones and another teen rode to an area between Log Cabin and Edna Place drives north of the Macon Mall, according to Bibb County sheriff’s investigators.

A sheriff’s statement, in describing the incident, said Jones had wanted to sell a pistol to “some individuals” on Scotland Avenue, which runs off Log Cabin just south of Napier Avenue.

Jones and a 17-year-old passenger in his car “were sitting inside of the vehicle when several individuals approached. One of the individuals reached inside of the vehicle and attempted to take the handgun from Jones. As Jones tried to drive off, shots were fired into the vehicle, striking Jones in the upper torso and (the passenger) in the leg,” the statement said.

The passenger was said to have pulled Jones out of the driver’s seat so that the passenger could take the wheel and drive to a friend’s place about 2.5 miles away at Sandy Springs apartments on Bloomfield Drive.

Jones was later pronounced dead at the apartments and the wounded passenger was taken to a city hospital where he was being treated Tuesday.

Investigators said they were trying to find three other teens for questioning in the case.

This story was originally published December 22, 2020 at 5:34 PM.

Joe Kovac Jr.
The Telegraph
Joe Kovac Jr. writes about local news and features for The Telegraph, with an eye for human-interest stories. Joe is a Warner Robins native and graduate of Warner Robins High. He joined the Telegraph in 1991 after graduating from the University of Georgia. As a Pulliam Fellowship recipient in 1991, Joe worked for the Indianapolis News. His stories have appeared in the Washington Post, the Seattle Times and Atlanta Magazine. He has been a Livingston Award finalist and won numerous Georgia Press Association and Georgia Associated Press awards.
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