By Joe Johnson
A 13-year-old boy who was wounded by gunfire Monday in western Athens-Clarke County may have been the victim of a drive -by shooting.
A teenager who was ran from an area near the shooting was arrested on a misdemeanor and taken in for questioning.
Authorities would not comment about possible motives.
However, enforcement sources with knowledge of the investigation indicated that detectives were looking at the possibility that the incident involved gang activity,
"At this time, due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, it would be premature to make any comments related to gang involvement or affiliations," said Geof Gilland, spokesman for the Athens-Clarke County Police Department.
According to a police report, the incident happened at about 8 a.m. at Windy Hills Apartments on Chalfont Lane off of Westchester Drive.
A woman was upstairs in her home getting her son ready for school when she heard several gunshots ring out, according to the report, and after yelling to her son to get down on the floor the woman ran to the front door and found that it already was open with her nephew standing there, bleeding from bullet wounds to his leg.
When the woman went outside to yell for the victim's father at the apartment next door a Jeep Cherokee sped off, striking the woman's Honda Accord with its back end as it fishtailed. The injured boy was picked up by his father and taken to the Honda that he then used to drive the boy to the hospital.
Six 9mm bullet casings and the Jeep's front bumper were located on the road in front of the apartment where the victim and his father were staying.
Police soon afterward found the Jeep up against a tree in the wood line off Westchester Circle, with its engine running and driver's door open, according to the police report, which noted that a strong odor of marijuana was detected coming from the vehicle. Police said they learned that the Jeep had been reported as stolen in North Carolina.
An officer noted that the vehicle had been abadoned next to a path that led to Ben Burton Park, and so he drove to the park where he found a teenager sitting at the pavillion, according to the police report. When the officer tried to speak the teen took off running.
An ensuing foot pursuit ended when the teen gave up running. The 18-year-old, who resides at Windy Hills Apartments, explained that he ran because he was scared of the police, according to the report.
He was arrested for misdemeanor obstruction and taken in for questioning about the shooting incident and he bonded out of jail several hours later.
In the shooting's aftermath the Clarke County School District issued a statement about a student in the district having been injured "in a neighborhood shooting before school hours," and advised that counselors were available to speak with students who might have witnessed the incident.
Classic City News has learned that a school bus with children aboard might have been arriving to the Windy Hills neighborhood at about the same time as the shooting.
CCN also found out that the victim is from Elbert County and was in Athens to receive alternative education.
Police asked for anyone with information about the incident to contact Sgt. Scott Black at scott.black@accgov.com, or 762-400-7058; or Det. Hovie Lister at Hovie.Lister@accgov.com / 762-400-7333.