A teenager suspected in the fatal shooting of an 8-year-old Atlanta girl over a deadly vacation weekend became a police officer, authorities said Wednesday.
Julian Conley, 19, faces one count of murder, as well as one count of aggravated assault, in the death of Secoriea Turner. Arrest warrants were issued for his arrest Tuesday, Atlanta senior officer Tasheena Brown told Fox News.
He is being held at the Fulton County Jail, according to jail records.
The news of Conley’s arrest came when mourners attended a funeral for Turner. She was fatally shot on July 4 while riding in a van with her mother and another adult near Wendy’s, where Rayshard Brooks, 27, was killed by a police officer last month.
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This undated photo provided by the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office shows Julian Conley. (Fulton County Sheriff’s Office through AP)
Brooks’ death sparked weeks of protests near where he was killed. Barricades were erected and armed men had been guarding the area.
The SUV Secoriea was traveling in was trying to make a U-turn to bypass the makeshift barricade when a gunman fired on the vehicle, police said.
Conley’s attorney, Jackie Patterson, told Fox News that his client was protesting peacefully and witnessed the shooting, but was not involved. He admitted that Conley was armed but did not open fire.
Conley said the SUV went through a barricade and hit a man armed with a rifle, prompting the shooting, Patterson said.
“When that person started shooting, someone thought that one person inside the car was shooting backwards, so that was when three other people shot the car,” he said.
A man brings flowers to an observation site for Secoriea Turner, 8, who was fatally shot in Atlanta on July 4 near the Wendy site where Rayshard Brooks was killed the previous month. (AP Photo / John Bazemore)
Patterson said he plans to file a motion to secure bail for Conley. Turner’s death came in the middle of a deadly weekend, as several cities reported dozens of shootings during the July 4 holiday.
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Turner’s murder prompted Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms to crack down on protesters who occupied the area.
“By the time an 8-year-old baby dies, the discussions are over,” he said.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
