D’Mari Johnson, 11, was shot in the head outside a Georgia skating rink, authorities said.
A 13-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with a shooting at a Georgia skating rink that left an 11-year-old boy in a medically induced coma after being shot in the back of the head, according to the DeKalb County Police Department.
The boy was taken into custody Thursday, authorities said. He has been charged with aggravated assault, police said. He has not been identified because of his age.
“While we have the suspect in custody, I am saddened that the lives of both of these children and their families will never be the same,” said DeKalb Police Chief Mirtha V. Ramos in a statement.
D’Mari Johnson was critically injured on April 10, when shots were fired outside the Golden Glide skating rink in Decatur, just north of Atlanta. A motive for the shooting has not been made public.
In a news conference Monday, his family and their attorney said the skating rink bore some responsibility for the shooting, saying the business has a history of violent incidents.
“Their child was shot at a place that has a history of issues and violence,” said lawyer Shean Williams. “Golden Glide has a history of violence at that place, a history of violence and shooting. We believe the shooting wouldn’t have occurred if the place had adequate security.”
The business has not publicly commented on the incident. A message was left for the business Friday by Inside Edition Digital.
“The family of D’Mari Johnson is thankful that the individual who allegedly shot D’Mari has been identified and arrested. The family extends its gratitude to the DeKalb County Police Dept. and the other agencies who assisted them in their investigation of this horrific crime," the family said in a statement following the arrest.
"We are saddened that a 13-year-old could allegedly perpetrate such a heinous act. The family would like to thank the community for their support and asks for continued prayers for D’Mari’s recovery," the statement added.
Chief Ramos said Thursday, “I don’t want to lay blame and I don’t want to speak for the parents. We don’t know the circumstances where they were or why the children were there. We do just ask that the community work together, work with your children to keep DeKalb County safe.”
A GoFundMe account has been established to help pay for the victim's medical expenses.
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