STATESBORO, Ga. -- Investigators believe alcohol may have played a part in the death of a Georgia Southern student who was shot and killed in an off campus residence Wednesday morning.
The Bulloch County, Ga. Sheriff’s Office reports that they responded to the 1000 block of Planters Lane in Statesboro Georgia just after 2 a.m., Wednesday on reports that someone had been shot.
When they arrived, they found 20-year-old Blake Shurling of Tennille, Ga. dead from a bullet wound.
After processing the scene and interview tenants of the apartment, police took 20-year-old Coleton Weatherford of Statesboro into custody.
Weatherford now faces charges of felony involuntary manslaughter, reckless conduct and discharging a firearm while under the influence.
Bulloch County officials said he was also a student at the same university and that the two were acquainted.
Weatherford remains at the Bulloch County Jail pending further judicial hearings. Anyone with information on the case should contact Cpt. Todd Hutchens at 912-764-1787 or submit an anonymous tip at tips@bullochsheriff.com.
Statesboro, Ga. is located about 210 miles southeast of Atlanta. The shooting happened about 3 miles from the Georgia Southern campus.
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