Two teens have been charged in the murder of a baby boy and the shooting of his mother in Georgia.
The mom, Sherry West, was pushing her 13-month-old son in a stroller in Brunswick, Georgia, last week when two teenagers attempted to rob them at gunpoint, NBC News reports. One of the boys then opened fire.
Just a day after the shooting, Brunswick police arrested two teens, ages 17 and 15, and charged them both with murder. Authorities tracked down the suspects by checking school attendance records and searching door-to-door with a SWAT team.
The 17-year-old, De'Marquise Kareem Elkins, allegedly shot the baby in the head, reports NBC News. He also allegedly shot West in her leg.
In Georgia, someone 17 years or older is legally considered an adult. So Elkins was publicly named and charged with the baby's murder.
But because the other suspect is only 15 years old, his name was not disclosed, as he is considered a juvenile. However, despite his age, he can still be charged as an adult.
In Georgia, the law provides that a minor must be at least 15 years old to be transferred to adult court.
However, for children between the ages of 13 and 17, prosecutors may transfer the child to adult court for certain serious offenses including murder, voluntary manslaughter, rape, aggravated sodomy, aggravated child molestation, aggravated sexual battery, armed robbery, if committed with a firearm, and aggravated battery resulting in serious bodily injury to a victim.
If the 15-year-old boy is eventually charged as an adult, he could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted. But it's not yet clear if he'll face charges as an adult or as a juvenile, CNN reports.
Related Resources:
- Judge tells 15-year-old he'll face murder charge in baby shooting (CNN)
- 12-Year-Old Arrested for School Shooting Hoax (FindLaw's Blotter)
- 2 Teen Athletes Convicted in Ohio Rape Trial (FindLaw's Blotter)
- State Criminal Law (FindLaw)
