SAVANNAH, GA (December 7, 2021) – Savannah Police continues to investigate a juvenile-involved accidental shooting on Duval Street on Dec. 4.
Officers responded to the 1900 block of Duval Street around 5:45 p.m. Dec. 4 for a shooting and discovered a 14-year-old male with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the leg. An investigation revealed that a 12-year-old in the residence accidentally shot the other teen. A further investigation revealed the gun had been reported stolen from an unsecured vehicle last month.
The theft of firearms from unsecured vehicles remains an issue in Savannah and other cities throughout the country. This year, there have been 169 guns stolen from vehicles. For 130 of those guns, the vehicle was left unlocked. SPD continues to remind the public to lock their doors and remove all firearms from vehicles.
SPD also wants to remind parents to talk to their children about firearms and to frequently check what their children have in their possession that could pose a danger to themselves or others.
“This incident could have been avoided,” Chief Roy Minter said. “We need gun owners to take responsibility for securing their firearms by locking their doors, removing firearms from their vehicles and securing firearms in the home. Also, talk to your children about the dangers of firearms. Reducing the number of illegal guns on our streets could have a major impact on the violent crime and shootings occurring in our city.”
SPD provides free gun locks to the public. The locks are available at headquarters and all SPD precincts.