Three Guilty In Gang Shooting At Children's Birthday Party

ATLANTA — Three gang members have pleaded guilty in a shooting that left a 5-year-old girl paralyzed and a 3-year-old boy seriously injured. Both of the children were inside a bouncy house during a birthday party in the city of South Fulton. Demetrius Gordon, Dewon Love, and Andrevius Welch pleaded guilty to a 26-count indictment before a Fulton County Superior Court judge on Monday. Gordon and Love were sentenced to 35 years in prison to serve 15 years, while Welch was sentenced 30 years in prison to serve 15 years.

On April 20, 2017, a large group of individuals participated in a birthday party within the cul-de-sac along Buckhurst Drive in South Fulton. A DJ played music, adults cooked food, and children jumped inside of a bouncy castle which was set up in a grassy area inside the cul-de-sac. As the evening wore on, the bouncy castle began to fill with children from the neighborhood.

A number of the adults who attended the festivities were members of an Atlanta criminal street gang. Around 6:20 pm, 10 to 15 children were inside the bouncy castle when a grey Dodge Journey pulled into a driveway within the cul-de-sac. Welch was driving while Gordon sat in the passenger seat and Love was in the back seat. Several adults from the party approached the vehicle. The three men inside the vehicle were members of a rival Atlanta criminal street gang to those individuals who attended the birthday party.

As the partygoers approached the vehicle, they realized Gordon had a rifle in his lap. One of the individuals attempted to grab the weapon. The vehicle backed out of the driveway and Gordon and Love began to fire upon those who were attending the party. Some of the partygoers returned fire, and during this exchange, a 5-year-old girl and a 3-year-old boy who were inside the bouncy house were shot.

The 5-year-old girl was shot through the chest and abdomen which caused a vertebrae fracture and spinal cord injury. The 3-year-old boy was shot in between the ribs which caused a flesh wound and permanent scarring.