CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — A 19-year-old was shot and killed in the middle of a residential neighborhood in northern Clayton County on Thursday night.
Police said officers found the teen “lying face down in the grass, near the curbside” and that he was “unresponsive” and “no signs of life could be located.”
Clayton County Police say the teen, later identified as 18-year-old Richard Lee Jackson Jr., was gunned down and left for dead near the intersection of Crystal Lake Road and Warrington Place.
They said several shell casings were found, but that they don't know how many times the unidentified victim was shot.
Neighbors told 11Alive's La'Tasha Givens the area is no stranger to violent crime.
Matthew Koffron said he heard the gunshots but didn't budge, because he's used to crime in the area - and his family has been a victim of it.
"I have three children that live here and it's scary, it's right close to the school," Koffron said. "My wife got robbed once in the driveway and the house got broken into a couple times."
Sophin Meas said his granddaughter was sleeping next to him when the shots rang out.
"I hear shooting ... pop pop pop," he said.
The retired custodian has lived in his home since 1986, he said, and has his own experience with criminals in the area.
He pointed out two bullet holes in his garage he said came from a previous shooting. He also described when his truck, parked in the driveway, was hit by bullets.
"I got no money to move," he said, laughing. He said he wishes he could, though.
In the meantime, he takes it all in stride, hoping any future bullets keep missing him.
According to Clayton County Police statistics, crime is up almost across the board from this time last year, including both homicides and rapes by more than 20 percent.
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