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A teenager is in police custody after deputies discovered four young men shot to death in a northwest Georgia park over the weekend.
The 16-year-old, who has not been named, is from Rome, a town around 40 miles southwest of Pleasant Grove Park, Dalton, where the shooting took place.
At around 11:14 p.m. on August 24, Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call concerning a fatal shooting at the park. Upon arrival, they discovered the bodies of four Hispanic men, with WCSO Sheriff Scott Chitwood confirming they were 17, 18, 19 and 21 years old.
Authorities believe the incident started as an attempted robbery and turned into a fatal shooting, but that it was not gang-related.
“Very, very tragic. Very tragic,” said Chitwood in a press conference. “There were multiple weapons involved,” the sheriff added. “We know that because of the multiple shell casings that were located on the scene.”
He added that one of the vehicles found at the scene of the shooting had contraband inside.
A woman living across the street from the park said she called 911 after hearing “massive amounts of gunshots,” according to Fox 5.
“It was like if you didn’t know the difference, it would have been like fireworks, that’s what you thought you would’ve heard,” she said.
The initial news release revealed officials were searching for an “SUV type vehicle” and a dark hatchback vehicle — with both “likely to have sustained gun shots.”
The SUV was later found and towed to the sheriff’s office by Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents. Fox 5 reported that the vehicle had multiple bullet holes on one side.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the WCSO on 706-278-1233 or the GBI on 800-597-8477.
