GWINNETT COUNTY, a 17-year-old boy was shot and killed inside a motel room after a gun being cleaned in a neighboring room accidentally discharged and fired through a wall, Georgia authorities said.
Sheldon Lewis, 17, was staying at a Gwinnett County motel when a firearm handled by another guest discharged late Thursday night, sending a bullet through the adjoining wall and fatally striking the teen.
According to investigators, 31-year-old Shermarcus Cockran was also staying at the motel when the incident occurred just before midnight. Authorities said Cockran was cleaning his gun when it accidentally went off, with the bullet traveling through the wall separating the two rooms.
Gwinnett County police said the shooting happened at the Live In Lodge Extended Stay on Stone Mountain Highway around 11 p.m. Thursday, according to 11Alive.
At the time of the incident, Lewis was in room 216 playing video games when the bullet entered his room from next door, CBS News reported.
Investigators determined the shot came from room 215, where Cockran was staying. Cockran told detectives he had recently returned from a gun range and was cleaning his firearm when it discharged, sending a round into the wall.
Police arrested Cockran following a preliminary investigation. He is facing multiple felony charges, including involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct.
Authorities are asking anyone with information related to the case to contact Gwinnett County Police detectives at (770) 513-5300.
