15-year-old charged as adult for Southbend Park murder
Published 10:30 am Wednesday, March 8, 2023
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LaGrange police are investigating an incident where a 15-year-old shot and killed a 16-year-old on Saturday near Southbend Skate Park.
Brandon Harrison, Jr, 15, has been arrested for the fatal shooting of Nasir Truitt, 16, on Saturday night. Interim Police Chief Dale Strickland confirmed that Harrison is being charged as an adult for the incident. The teen is accused of murder and four counts of aggravated assault.
LPD officers began investigating the incident after receiving reports of multiple gunshots fired and at least one person who had been shot. Police arrived to find Truitt near the skate park on Pierce Street with multiple gunshot wounds.
Truitt was transported to the WellStar West Georgia Medical Center, where he passed away due to injuries sustained during the incident.
Police say the initial investigation has revealed that there was an argument between two groups of people that led to multiple shots being fired.
“It’s too early to say that it was gang-related at all,” Strickland said. “They’re two different groups of guys that were involved in an argument. I don’t know necessarily what the argument was about what the catalyst was.”
Strickland said they received information that some of the individuals involved had formed some sort of group, but they don’t appear to be any of the known criminal street gangs involved in LaGrange.
“There’s some information that this group, or these kids, had called himself a group, but it was not like Bloods, Crips or anything else,” he said.
According to Strickland, there were two shooters.
“Harrison was a shooter and one returned fire in self-defense, it appears,” Strickland said.
In addition to the murder charge, Harrison is facing four counts of aggravated assault due to four people being in the specific vicinity where he had fired the shots. Harrison was arrested on Sunday and was held with no bond. Police say the shooting is still under active investigation and additional charges are possible.
If anyone has any information about this incident, please contact the LaGrange Police Department at (706) 883-2603 or Troup County Crime Stoppers at (706) 812-1000.