Police identify 15-year-old suspect in June shooting
Police in Georgia have named a 15-year-old boy as the chief suspect in a murder case that happened two months ago. Oliver Lamar Choyce is wanted for the shooting death of 16-year-old Jamarious Smith, who was found near the wood line of a park in Hampton on June 29. Smith had multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Clayton County Police Department.
Choyce is considered to be armed and dangerous, and police are asking the public to help locate him. He is known to frequent areas in Lovejoy, Atlanta and Fulton County. He is described as 6 feet 1 inch, 140 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Anyone who sees him is advised not to approach him but to call 911 immediately.
Victim’s mother recalls last moments with her son
The victim’s mother, Pumpkin Smith, told Channel 2 Action News that a group of teenagers came to her house and were hanging out with her son the day he was killed. She said she did not approve of them and asked them to leave.
“He had some guys on my porch that I did not approve of and I asked him to ask the guys to leave from in front of my door,” Smith said. Her son left with the rest of the group, she said.
The following day, police officers knocked on her door and asked for a photo of her son. They then broke the news that he had been killed. Smith said she had no idea why anyone would want to kill her son, who was a junior at Lovejoy High School.
Second suspect arrested in connection with the case
Choyce is the second suspect to face charges in this case, Channel 2 Action News reported. The day after Smith was found dead, police arrested another suspect, whose identity has not been publicly released.
Authorities have not revealed the motive for the shooting or how they identified Choyce as a suspect. They are still investigating the incident and asking anyone with information to contact the Clayton County Police Department at 770-477-3747.
