Youth Gun Violence

Police in Lovejoy, Georgia arrested 16‑year‑old Lequan Stephens on aggravated assault charges after his father turned him in following a two‑day manhunt tied to a pair of shootings. Lovejoy police say officers responded on Jan. 17 to gunfire on Lovejoy Crossing Lane and found a juvenile in the front passenger seat of a vehicle with gunshot wounds to the face and neck, after a suspect allegedly fired into the car and fled. Investigators identified Stephens as the suspected shooter and obtained warrants, while the Georgia Bureau of Investigation secured additional warrants in connection with a separate shooting. The Clayton County Sheriff’s Office coordinated operations at multiple homes linked to Stephens’ relatives and acquaintances, publicly warning he had “no place to hide,” before his father brought him in after more than 48 hours on the run. The case highlights ongoing concerns over youth gun violence and the role of family members in resolving dangerous manhunts, though authorities have not yet disclosed a motive or the condition of the wounded juvenile.