After celebrating birthday, Columbus teen dies from gunshot wounds, Muscogee coroner says
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A teenager was killed by gunfire overnight in Columbus after celebrating his 16th birthday.
Dayton Willis is the victim in the fatal shooting in the 2300 block of Double Churches Road, the Columbus Police Department announced in a news release Friday.
Responding police officers found Willis in front of a ball field at Double Churches Park with gunshot wounds. EMS couldn’t resuscitate him, and Muscogee County deputy coroner Dustin Harrelson pronounced him dead Thursday at 1:36 a.m., according the the news release.
Muscogee County coroner Buddy Bryan told the Ledger-Enquirer that Willis turned 16 Wednesday and was living in Columbus with an aunt. Willis was found in his aunt’s car, which was on the shoulder of the road along a tree line in front of a ball field at the park, Bryan said.
There’s no evidence the car was in an accident, Bryan said. Although a .38 revolver was found Willis’ lap, Bryan said, the case is being investigated as a homicide because of the multiple gunshot wounds.
CPD asks anyone with information about this case to contact Sgt. D. Battle at 706-225-4340 or dbattle@columbusga.org.
Information also can be submitted anonymously via TipSoft or by texting VACS plus your message to 274637 (CRIMES).
This story was originally published August 31, 2023 at 10:51 AM.
