On a tragic New Year's Eve in Lawrenceville, Georgia, the life of 17-year-old Chad Carless, a Black/African American male, was cut short. On December 31, 2018, Carless was with a group of other teenage boys inside a makeshift shed on a residential property along Riverlanding Circle. The friends were gathered together around 3:15 p.m. when the unfortunate incident unfolded.
The group was examining a handgun when it was accidentally discharged by 15-year-old Devin Hodges.
The single shot struck Carless, who was sitting near Hodges in the confined space of the shed. Despite one of the other boys immediately calling 911, Chad Carless succumbed to his injuries before emergency services could arrive. The shooting was deemed accidental by investigators.
In the moments that followed, as police were arriving at the scene, Devin Hodges was seen running between two houses. Tragically, he then used the same handgun to take his own life. Subsequent investigation by the Gwinnett County police revealed that the handgun used in the incident had been reported stolen from a vehicle in unincorporated Lawrenceville the day before the fatal shooting. No arrests were made in the death of Chad Carless as the individual responsible was also deceased.
