Family of 12-year-old boy shot to death in Atlanta pleads for answers

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    Atlanta (WGCL) — The family of a 12-year-old found shot to death in southwest Atlanta is pleading for anyone with information to come forward.

David Mack’s body was found Wednesday, the day after his grandmother reported him missing. Police said he had been shot.

Instead of celebrating his 13th birthday next week, his family has to plan his funeral.

“I just feel empty right now but I know somebody knows something,” said Glenda Mack, David’s grandmother who raised him.

According to David’s uncle, the family was told he was shot four times—twice in the back, once in his cheek and once near his eyebrow.

“We need your help,” she pleaded. “I don’t care who you are, you need to come up and say something because no one needs to die like that, he died by himself and that’s what makes it so hard on me.”

Ms. Mack contacted police Tuesday night after David didn’t come home. That afternoon she said she allowed him to go to a friend’s house. He called her to tell her he was getting ready to over over to the friend’s house and she is thankful for that final conversation they had.

“He said I love you and I said I love you, too. It was the last thing I ever said to him and I’m so glad I was able to say it to him,” said Mack.

APD confirmed a missing persons report was filed Tuesday night. Police said the child was reported missing from a home on the 2000 block of Beecher St. SW around 10:43 p.m. by his grandmother.

Around 1:48 p.m. Wednesday, Atlanta Police were sent to a home on the 1200 block of Shirley Street after a person shot call. When they arrived, they discovered the unresponsive child with gunshot wounds. Grady EMS pronounced the child dead on the scene.

Family searching the area found David’s body in a wooded area not far from where he lived.

“I believe he was trying to make it home when he was shot because that’s the shortcut he would take and that’s what I believe, whoever killed him killed him while he was trying to get home,” said Mack.

“The world is pretty rough, pretty rough,” neighbor Wallace Madden said. “It’s kind of scary and it is for real. I just give them my deepest sympathy.”

Neighbors told CBS46’s Ciara Cummings they heard gunshots around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

“We didn’t think nothing of it cause nothing happen in the neighborhood at all,” said Charmaine Hart.

They also said they heard screaming near the creek when David’s body was found.

“It really scared me when she called me and said it’s dead body behind your house,” Hart said. “It really scared me. Especially for him to be young. She said he’s 12. That real young to be shot in the head, it’s scary.”

The family created a GoFundMe account to help with funeral expenses.

Atlanta police are investigating the death.

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