Three teenagers and an adult have been charged with murder in Georgia after a 15-year-old boy was shot dead. The mother of Austin Payne, 15, found her son shot to death inside an abandoned residence following Halloween night.
According to the Albany Police Department, investigators arrested 22-year-old Detravion Parker, and two 15-year-olds and a 16-year-old in connection with the death. All four were charged with murder and transported to the Dougherty County Jail, according to police, Fox News reported.
On November 1, officers responded to the 800 block of Cameo Lane in Albany, where they found Payne dead inside an abandoned home, according to police. His mother found him after she tracked his location via cellphone when he failed to return home on Halloween, WALB reported.
During a November 2 news conference, Albany Police Chief Michael Persley said that Payne had contacted his mother after being shot.
"He did make a call to his mother that he had been shot," Persley said.
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage, cellphone records and witness statements to reconstruct the events that led up to Payne's death. According to witnesses, armed individuals approached a group walking with Payne, asked for their belongings and opened fire.
WALB reported that the suspects may have targeted Payne during an attempted robbery involving a handgun he had recently displayed on social media.
GoFundMe launched
A GoFundMe has been launched by Payne’s family.
“Our family is trying to process this heartbreaking loss while also facing the reality that we do not have the money to pay for his burial and funeral arrangements,” says the fundraiser. “He left behind his older 17-year-old sister and his mom, and they are going through a hard time and need all the support and help they can get.”
It added, “This fundraiser is to help cover the costs of laying my cousin to rest and giving him the service he deserves. Right now, any support would help ease the financial burden on our family during an unimaginably painful time. We are asking for prayers, donations, and support in any form. If you are able to give, please know that every contribution will mean so much to our family. If you cannot donate, sharing this fundraiser and keeping us in your prayers would also mean a lot.”