Man charged with shooting teens during porch package theft, Atlanta police say

The incident occurred around 3:30 p.m. at a townhouse community on Celeste Lane, just outside I-285 and off Benjamin E. Mays Drive. A 15-year-old was shot in the foot and said to be stable. A 16-year-old, who was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital in critical condition after being shot in the right arm, underwent surgery and is expected to survive, officials later said.

“Our investigation has determined that we believe a property crime was occurring, that some packages were being taken off a front porch, which is common this time of year,” Schierbaum told reporters at the scene.

According to Bradford’s arrest warrant obtained Friday by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, one of the injured teens told police his friend came over and they “agreed to steal” a package that had just been dropped off outside the residence.

“Before they were able to take it, (the teen) stated that someone started shooting through the door and they fled on foot,” the warrant said.

A man who identified himself as a friend and coworker of Bradford’s was also at the scene after the shooting and relayed information to police. He said Bradford called him to tell him someone had been shot at his residence, the warrant states.

Bradford told the man he was inside cleaning his firearm when he received a notification that a package was at his front door, according to the warrant. When he went to get the package, he opened the door to find it being stolen.

“Mr. Bradford stated that at that time, his firearm went off, and he believed that he struck one of the males in the back,” police wrote in the warrant.

Bradford fled the scene, but soon after turned himself in to Atlanta police, law enforcement said. When he was taken into custody, police said he was in possession of a firearm.

Two 911 calls released by Atlanta police captured the chaos in the moments after the shooting. The callers described hearing gunfire and screaming, and seeing blood.

“I just heard shots and then I seen two boys running from one another,” one caller said. “When I came outside, one of them run up to me, said he’d been shot.”

A search warrant executed at the residence revealed a single shell casing directly outside the front door. Authorities confirmed a home invasion did not occur.

“Anytime a child is injured in our city, we really take that seriously,” Schierbaum said.

According to state law, a person is justified in “threatening or using force” against another when “he reasonably believes that such threat or force is necessary to prevent or terminate such other’s trespass on or other tortious or criminal interference with real property other than a habitation or personal property.”

When use of force is intended or likely to cause death or severe bodily injury in such scenarios, it is not justified “unless the person using such force reasonably believes that it is necessary to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.”