UPDATE: Fatal drive-by shooting of Macon teen ruled gang related

December 13, 2015

41NBC Web Producer,

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The shooting that killed a 14-year-old Macon girl Sunday night is gang related.

“It’s tragic with the holidays, but it’s just as tragic if it had happened in the middle of June,” said Bibb County Sheriff David Davis.

Davis showed strong emotions as he gave an update on the shooting that killed Ta’shuntis Roberts. He said a light colored vehicle drove up to the Lindwood Drive home, two men got out of the car and shot at the house hitting Roberts at least five times. Investigators recovered more than 25 shell casings at the scene. A neighbor saw the shooting and told deputies he shot at them with his own gun. The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office isn’t releasing this person’s name.

“Somebody knows somebody who belongs to that car right there. Somebody knows who was riding in the back seat of that car last night and somebody knows who got out in the middle of Lindwood Drive and shot into that house,” said Davis.

The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office believes this shooting is gang related. Davis said the victim’s brother is a member of a gang.

Deputies responded to another drive-by shooting on Alfred Drive the same night around 11 p.m. Davis said the two shootings are directly related.

“You had a 13-year-old, an 8-year-old and an 8 month old [in the home]. We recovered bullets in the air mattresses that one of them was in,” said Davis.

Investigators released a still shot of the suspect’s vehicle from surveillance footage of the Lindwood Drive shooting. The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a small, possibly gray, American-made car.

“Ta’shuntis was completely innocent. She is the victim of a senseless crime. She was not the target of this shooting. She was a freshman at Southwest High School,” explained Davis.

The Bibb County School District had additional counselors at the school Monday.

“This is something that dampens the spirit of everyone. As students are trying to get ready for the holidays, finish up the semester, this is just very tragic, not only for that family but for friends who know her as well,” said Dr. Curtis Jones, the Superintendent for Bibb Schools.

Davis doesn’t want people to stay quiet.

“In a situation like this, a lot of times my investigators run up against a wall of silence,” explained Davis.

He said that can’t happen if justice is going to be brought to Roberts’ family.

The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office will have more patrol deputies in the Bloomfield area. If you have any information about this case, call the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office at (478) 751-7500. You can remain anonymous.

The Bibb County Coroner said the 14-year-old girl injured in Sunday’s drive-by shooting has died.

Tashauntis Roberts was taken to the hospital after she was hit multiple times in the hip and back during a drive-by shooting on Lindwood Drive, according to the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office. Witnesses told deputies they saw a car go down the street, turn around and stop in front of the home. A person got out of the car and shot into the home. Witnesses said an early incident involving the victim’s brother might have possibly led to the shooting.

The Bibb County School District said additional counselors are available at Southwest High School.

Deputies have confirmed that this is a gang related investigation now. They are looking for a small gray car and there were two suspects.

Around 4 hours after Tashauntis was shot, deputies respond to another drive by shooting on Alfred Drive. They believe this shooting was directly related to the first one. No one was injured in the second shooting, although there were children present in the home.

A 14-year-old girl is in critical condition after a drive-by shooting at a home on Lindwood Drive.

Deputy Linda Howard with the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office said it happened around 6:15 p.m. Sunday. Six other people were inside the home. The girl was hit in her hip, according to Howard. Howard added no arrests have been made at this time.

Anyone with information about this shooting is asked to call the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office at (478) 751-7500 and ask to leave a message with the “on-call” investigator. You can also call Macon Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-877-68CRIME.