Three teenagers are in custody today after an exchange of gunfire at a Statesboro apartment complex led to the wounding of a resident as he sat in his apartment.
According to a release from Statesboro Police Capt. Jared Akins, SPD officers patrolling in the area of Statesboro Place Circle heard multiple gunshots at 12:20 a.m. Sunday. Flock acoustic gunshot detectors registered the discharges as coming from The Vault apartments, located on Statesboro Place Circle, off Lanier Drive and behind the Copper Beech apartment complex.
Officers searching the area discovered shell casings and damaged vehicles in the parking lot and in the common areas of The Vault’s 3 Building.
“Noting damage to an apartment’s window, officers discovered a 20-year-old male inside suffering from a gunshot wound to the torso,” Akins said in the release. “He was taken to East Georgia Regional Medical Center where he was treated and released after several hours of care.”
Akins said information provided by residents of the 3 Building led officers to a third-floor apartment in that building. Detectives issued a search warrant for that location and patrol officers secured all of the occupants, who were transported to the Statesboro Police Department for interviews. Also, detectives located two firearms inside the residence.
“After multiple interviews and the processing of the crime scene and apartment, detectives determined that the victim was an innocent third party,” Akins said. “An exchange of gunfire between two groups at the 3 Building resulted in a bullet entering the victim’s apartment and striking him.”
At this time, detectives have charged Shamarge Brown, 18, of Sylvania, and Aurico Delauder, 19, of Oak Hill MHP in Statesboro with aggravated assault. Also, 18-year-old Ar’Quise Newton of Lanier Drive is charged with false statements and writings.
The Flock acoustic detectors referenced by Akins, known as “Raven,” use audio sensors that react to the specific decibel or acoustic sound of a gunshot. The sensors communicate with each other and triangulate the location where the shots came from, which is then communicated to an officer's on-board computers.
Sunday’s shooting incident was the second at The Vault complex in the past two weeks. On April 17, a 17-year-old was shot and had to be flown to Memorial Medical Center in Savannah. Jayden Staley, 18, of Chandler Road, and a juvenile were charged with being parties to the crime of aggravated assault along with other, unrelated, offenses.
Akins said other arrests are anticipated in the April 17 shooting and the investigation continues.
Akins said the investigation into Sunday morning’s incident also continues. Anyone with information is requested to contact Senior Detective Dustin Cross at (912) 764-9911 or submit an anonymous tip to www.cityprotect.com/forms/statesboroga.gov/anonymous.