A teenager shot in a Thursday evening incident is in critical condition and Statesboro Police are searching for the assailant.

According to a release from Capt. Jared Akins with the Statesboro Police Department, “at approximately 7:45 p.m. on April 23, SPD Patrol officers were sent to the Groover Homes complex on Packinghouse Road following reports of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers located a 16-year-old male victim and rendered immediate aid.”

Akins said the victim was transported by Bulloch EMS to East Georgia Regional Medical Center and subsequently flown to Memorial Health in Savannah, where he remains in critical condition.

SPD detectives processed the crime scene Thursday night and conducted multiple interviews.

“Investigators believe there were additional witnesses present who left the scene before police arrived or who have not yet come forward,” Akins said. “This information is considered vital to the investigation.”

The Statesboro Police Department is requesting anyone with information about the case to contact Detective Dustin Hardin at (912) 764-9911.

Anonymous tips may also be submitted online by visiting https://statesboropd.com/ and clicking the “Submit a Tip” link.