16-year-old accidentally shoots himself while fleeing from police, 5 teens arrested, 4 guns seized by Valdosta Police

VALDOSTA, Ga. – On October 2, 2025, at 8:30 P.M., Valdosta Police Department Patrol Officers responded to a residence in the 500 block of Green Street, after citizens called E911 to report that several individuals were in a yard waving guns around. When officers arrived at the scene and began to approach the house, several subjects began to run. One officer was chasing a 16-year-old male, who refused to stop when he was given verbal commands.

As they were running, the officer was behind the juvenile when the officer heard a gunshot. The juvenile continued to run, then lay down on the ground, stating that he had been shot. Officers began to take the juvenile into custody when they located a gunshot wound to the front lower part of his torso and into his leg. Officers began to render first aid to the male until South Georgia Medical Center Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene and transported the juvenile to the hospital for treatment for a non-life-threatening injury.

Officers searched the area where they heard the gunshot and found a firearm, which appeared to have just been discharged.

Detectives and Crime Scene Personnel responded to the scene to investigate the shooting. At the time he was shot, the juvenile and a few other people at the scene began to make statements that an officer had shot the juvenile. Supervisors immediately removed the officer from the scene, and Internal Affairs Investigators responded due to the allegation. Investigators looked at the officer’s body camera and firearm and determined that the officer did not shoot his weapon. The injury was also not consistent with the angle the officer was at when the gunshot was heard. The angle of the injury was consistent with the juvenile shooting himself with a gun in the front of his pants. When detectives interviewed the juvenile at the hospital with his mother, he finally admitted that he had accidentally shot himself.

Officers arrested Treveon Mikael Thomas, 17, and Keshaw Hamilton, 20, on scene for misdemeanor obstruction of an officer, after they ran from officers who were giving the verbal commands to stop. Officers also arrested Ja’Nyah Renee Fulton, 19, due to her having several active arrest warrants, which were not related to this case.

During the incident, officers received information that other subjects involved may have run into a residence. Officers attempted to contact the subjects inside the house but received no response from anyone inside. Officers contacted the homeowner, who stated that there should not be anyone in her house. After officers made multiple attempts to get the subjects out of the house, Artise Omark Jackson, 18, and a 16-year-old juvenile male, exited the residence. The homeowner stated that she did not permit them to be in her residence.

The homeowner permitted officers to search her house for anyone else inside and for firearms. Officers located an AR-15 rifle, along with two handguns. The homeowner stated that the firearms did not belong to her.

Jackson and the juvenile were arrested for criminal trespass-unlawful purpose (misdemeanor) and obstruction of an officer (misdemeanor). Jackson was also charged with providing a false name and date of birth (misdemeanor).

All the adults were taken to Lowndes County Jail. The Department of Juvenile Justice was notified of the juvenile’s charges and authorized him to be released to a guardian.

The juvenile with the self-inflicted gunshot wound was transported to a hospital in Florida for further treatment.

The investigation is ongoing, and detectives are working with the Department of Juvenile Justice. Further charges are pending.

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