Police said that the manhunt continues for a gunman who fatally shot two “inseparable” teenage best friends in Atlanta.
South Fulton leaders said during a press conference on Thursday, March 19, that police are actively working to solve the double homicide that left 16-year-old Jamauri “J’Mauri” Smarr and 14-year-old Jeremiah Carter dead. Authorities said that investigators are following “very promising” leads, though they are still in the early stages of the case.
Officers responded to a call that came in on Tuesday, March 17, at around 8:30 p.m. about possible gunfire. Upon their arrival, police found two teenage victims that had suffered from gunshot wounds.
Both Smarr and Carter were rushed to a nearby hospital, where they later died from their injuries.
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“Our law enforcement officers have been working around the clock to solve this matter,” officials said during the press conference, per FOX 5 Atlanta.
The teens did not live in the neighborhood where the shooting took place, and officials said that the shooting may have stemmed from a prior dispute. However, a motive has not yet been confirmed.
Officials also addressed rumors circulating online about the shooting, saying that they “urge the public not to speculate” as detectives work to build a case.
Detectives are currently reviewing evidence and are working closely with partners, including Fulton County Schools.
Officials also addressed residents who may have concerns about safety following the incident. “We are working several leads that appear to be very promising,” they said.
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Additionally, investigators shared a direct message with the gunman behind the killings. “We’re going to find you … it’s just a matter of time,” they said.
Amid the investigation, detectives have been focusing on a white sedan that was found near the crime scene and later towed away. Officials said during the press conference that there may have been a third person in the vehicle. However, that person is not being considered a suspect as of this time.
It’s also not currently clear if the shooting took place inside or out of the car.
Following the boys’ tragic deaths, their loved ones spoke about the tragedy.
“J’Mauri was goofy. He always had us laughing even if it was supposed to be serious,” the older victim’s mother, Jamicia Smarr, said, per FOX 5 Atlanta. “Never, ever in a million years would I have ever been expecting to lose my child.”
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She added that J’Mauri and Jeremiah were best friends and they referred to each other as cousins.
Darius Malcolm, J’Mauri’s cousin, added that the teenager was always driven.
“He was goofy and fun and funny. He had an entrepreneurial spirit. He wanted to work for his money,” Malcolm said. “I look at both of them as nephews and they are both gone, senseless. They were great kids who came from beautiful parents, and they are gone too young. They had everything they needed to succeed in life, everything. This wasn’t two troubled kids.”
