10-year-old shot in face while children played with gun in Valdosta, police say

At approximately 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 7, officers responded to Brittany Woods Apartments on Old Statenville Road in Valdosta, where a 10-year-old boy had been shot in the face. The child was later transferred to a Florida hospital and listed in stable but critical condition.

Valdosta police said officers found the injured child after arriving at the apartment complex. Valdosta firefighters and emergency medical personnel from South Georgia Medical Center provided first aid before transporting him to the hospital.

Officers also spoke with a 9-year-old boy at the apartment. According to police, the younger child said the two boys had been playing with a gun when it discharged.

The victim’s mother said her son underwent surgery on his mouth but still had a bullet lodged near the back of his neck. She said doctors were concerned that the bullet could move and damage his spine.

She also said her son told her he had repeatedly asked the 9-year-old to stop pointing the gun at him before it fired.

Police have not publicly disclosed who owned the firearm or how the children gained access to it.

The investigation remains active, and detectives said additional charges could be filed as they continue reviewing the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Valdosta Police Chief Leslie Manahan described the shooting as preventable and urged gun owners to keep firearms secured where children cannot access them.

Anyone with information may contact the Valdosta Police Department at 229-242-2606 or its crime-tip line at 229-293-3091.

Yolonda Harris
News Now Georgia