Teen taking out trash is confronted and shot in head, Georgia family says. ‘Senseless’
A 17-year-old boy was shot in the head while taking out the trash for his mother at an Atlanta-area apartment complex, family members say.
Now they’re praying for his full recovery as police continue to search for the accused shooter.
MiQuavious Blanchard was headed home from work at about 11 p.m. Jan. 18 and stopped to take trash to a dumpster when he was confronted and shot at the Camelot Condominiums in College Park, WSB-TV and WXIA reported, citing relatives.
The family lives near the complex and said they’ve been using the trash bins there for years with no problem, according to WAGA.
His mother, Apollonia Blanchard, told the station her son was trying to leave when he and a friend were approached by a group of men. One of them shot into the van her son was in, she said.
“When MiQuavious attempted to get away someone opened fire striking him in the back of the head,” according to a GoFundMe launched on the family’s behalf. “When his mother ... arrived on scene shortly after midnight she found her son all alone inside a wrecked vehicle bleeding from the head.”
McClatchy News reached out to the South Fulton Police Department on Jan. 25 and was awaiting a response.
MiQuavious was hospitalized in critical condition, but family members said he has showed signs of progress since the shooting.
“His pupils were dilating more than they were before,” Blanchard told WXIA. “He was squinching his eyes showing that he does have function going on in his brain. Even though he’s still on a ventilator, he’s breathing 20% on his own and 80% on the machine.”
So far no arrests have been made, but authorities said they have multiple leads.
“As of right now, we’re following up on leads that we’ve received from the community, so we’re just trying to pan out that information,” South Fulton Police Sgt. Nikkita Moss told the station. “We are unsure of a motive.”
Family members describe MiQuavious as “the glue that holds his family together” and a loving brother who doesn’t hesitate to help his mom and siblings around the house.
“MiQuavious is an exceptional being and did not deserve to be a victim of this senseless act of violence,” a statement posted on the GoFundMe page reads.
The teen’s condition wasn’t known as of Jan. 25.
College Park is about 10 miles southwest of downtown Atlanta.
This story was originally published January 25, 2023 at 11:03 AM with the headline "Teen taking out trash is confronted and shot in head, Georgia family says. ‘Senseless’."