11-year-old shot in head outside Georgia skating rink, police say. 13-year-old charged
A 13-year-old has been arrested and charged in connection to a shooting outside an Atlanta-area skating rink that left an 11-year-old boy in a coma, according to the DeKalb County Police Department.
The accused shooter was arrested around 8 a.m. Thursday, April 21, more than week after D’Mari Johnson was shot in the head outside the Golden Glide Skating Rink in Decatur, Georgia, police said.
It’s not clear if authorities have determined a motive.
“While we have the suspect in custody, I am saddened that the lives of both of these children and their families will never be the same,” DeKalb Police Chief Mirtha Ramos said in a statement.
The April 10 incident landed D’Mari in a hospital, where he remains in a medically induced coma after suffering critical injuries, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. His family asked witnesses to come forward, and a $10,000 reward was offered for information leading to an arrest.
Police have not named the shooter.
At an April 18 news conference, an attorney for D’Mari’s family argued that owners of the skating rink should also be held accountable, according to WSB-TV.
The family welcomed news of an arrest but said it was “saddened” to learn a 13-year-old was accused of being behind “such a heinous act.”
“The family of D’Mari Johnson is thankful that the individual who allegedly shot D’Mari has been identified and arrested,” attorney Shean Williams of The Cochran Firm said in a statement April 21. “The family extends its gratitude to the DeKalb County Police Department and the other agencies who assisted them in their investigation of this horrific crime. We must remain vigilant in protecting the children in our community.”
Police also thanked the community for tips that helped lead to the accused shooter.
Decatur is less than 10 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta.
This story was originally published April 21, 2022 at 1:10 PM with the headline "11-year-old shot in head outside Georgia skating rink, police say. 13-year-old charged."