Fight over stay-at-home order ends with man killing teen stepson, Georgia police say
What began as an argument over stay-at-home orders ended with a Georgia man shooting and killing his own stepson, according to Atlanta police.
The tragic incident unfolded in southwest Atlanta just after 8 p.m. Wednesday, the department said in a statement obtained by McClatchy News. Officers responded to a home on Lisbon Drive to find 16-year-old De’onte Roberts with a gunshot wound to the chest.
There was a scuffle, and authorities say the teen’s stepfather, 42-year-old Bernie Hargrove, opened fire on Roberts after he kicked in the front door of the family’s home and assaulted him, local station WSB-TV reported.
“The victim’s mother told detectives that that there had been a dispute earlier in the day when the 16-year-old refused his parents orders to remain in the home and comply with recent shelter in place directives,” according to a statement from police. “Later, the victim returned to the home and kicked in the door to the house where a physical fight began between the suspect and the victim.”
Hargrove shot Roberts multiple times during the scuffle, authorities said. The teen’s mother and younger sibling were at home when the shooting occurred, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.
The teen was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead, Atlanta police said.
Hargrove now faces felony murder charges, according to investigators.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued a stay-at-home order for the city in late March in response to the coronavirus, which, as of Thursday, has infected more than 21,000 people statewide. Fulton County, which includes Atlanta, has been hardest hit by the virus with over 2,300 COVID-19 cases and 86 deaths, according to data from the state’s Department of Public Health.
Gov. Brian Kemp has plans to ease restrictions across the Peach State, however. On Monday, Kemp announced that certain businesses including barbershops, hair salons and massage parlors would be allowed to reopen April 24.
Atlanta remains under stay-at-home orders for now, and law enforcement officials are urging residents to find healthy ways to decompress while sheltering in place. Police told 11 Alive that Wednesday’s shooting is a grim reminder that domestic disputes have surged in recent weeks.
“People are on top of each other right now. We’re staying in the house, which we should be on the shut-in, and tensions get high because you’re in the same space day in and day out,” Atlanta Police Capt. D’Andrea Price said, according to 11 Alive. “However, when the pressure gets high, you just have to take a deep breath and you have to separate.”
Hargrove remains held at the Fulton County Jail, authorities said.
This story was originally published April 23, 2020 at 1:33 PM with the headline "Fight over stay-at-home order ends with man killing teen stepson, Georgia police say."