Update, Dec.27: Gwinnett Police Cpl. Jake Smith has reported that upon checking with the homicide unit, "there is nothing new that [Gwinnett PD] can share at this point, but the case is under active investigation. No arrests have been made."
Update, 4:54 p.m.: Gwinnett Police Cpl. Jake Smith identified the victim as 14-year-old Paul Sampleton. Police said his father came home at about 2:30 p.m., discovered his son's body, and called police. Grayson High School was on early release for the day. Police are still trying to determine if the boy walked in on a robbery or was ambushed. They don't know if he was targeted specifically, but say they are following up on leads.
Update, 4:19 p.m.: Police said the victim was a 14-year-old boy, a Grayson High School student, who might have unkowningly walked into a robbery. It's not clear if it was his home or someone else's.
Original post: Gwinnett County Police report that at 2:40 p.m. Dec. 19, police responded to a report of a person shot at a home on Haynescrest Drive in Grayson. A male teenager was found deceased inside, apparently from a gunshot wound. Detectives are enroute to the scene. Police report that this case is being treated as a homicide.
I live here and this is a tragic event. Regardless of which city this is.
Everyone has recognized that this is a travesty for this family and our community. Everyone has expressed their love and condolences. I am confident that we all pray for this victim, his family, his friends, and his classmates. Especially on the heels of what happened last week in CT. Yet another school will have to cope with great loss, the grieving process and making sense of it all. I pray for peace for everyone involved, and I continue to pray for the answers that I know we all seek. God Bless Everyone! We need him in our lives more than ever!
There has been an increase in petty crime in my subdivision. I've received similar information from people who live in neighboring subdivisions too. I know it's a sign of the depressed economy but I feel somewhat uneasy in this area now. When I moved to Grayson in 1996 it was a sleepy, humble little town. We loved it and I still feel a fondness to the community but I'm disappointed that it seems to be heading down the same path that Dekalb has taken. My business keeps me grounded and the kids want to finish school here but once they're graduated I expect that we'll relocate to Florida. As for this incident, I just can't wrap my head around how someone could shoot an innocent young man and leave him to die. That is pure evil! Having this happen days after the CT tragedy, which was very close to home for me and something I'm struggling with, makes this even more horrific. The eviction of God from the schools, in my opinion, diminishes the value of human life. Sadly, many families don't have time for God and without him in the schools, these kids are void of any spiritual influence. Keep praying......