Teen brother of Air Force airman who was killed by Florida deputy is shot to death near Atlanta
ATLANTA– The teenage brother of a U.S. Air Force soldier who was shot and killed in his home by a Florida sheriff’s deputy in May has been killed in a shooting near Atlanta, authorities said.
Senior Air Force Private Roger Fortson’s 16-year-old brother, Andre Fortson, was killed this week in DeKalb County, just off the east side of Atlanta, civil rights attorney Ben Crump said in a statement.
“The Fortson family is dealing with the loss of another young family member,” Crump said. “This has been an incredibly difficult time for them with the loss of Roger. To lose another young family member — a child — is absolutely devastating.”
Andre Fortson was found shot to death Tuesday in the covered walkway of an apartment complex, authorities said. Two groups of people had been shooting at each other for unknown reasons, DeKalb County police said WSB-TVA 20-year-old suspect was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault and booked into the DeKalb County Jail, the station reported.
Neighbors told WSB they heard cars driving away after the shots, leaving Andre Fortson bleeding in the covered walkway.
The murder takes place about three months later Roger Fortson, 23, was killed May 3 by Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Deputy Eddie Duran at Fortson’s apartment in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. The pilot had opened the door while holding a gun pointed at the ground and was killed within seconds, bodycam video shows.
Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden fired Duranand said the officer’s life was never in danger and he should not have fired his weapon.
An internal affairs investigation by the sheriff’s office found that Fortson “did not make hostile, offensive movements, and therefore the former deputy sheriff’s use of deadly force was not objectively reasonable.”
The Fortson family is from DeKalb County, where Andre Forston was killed. Roger Fortson was stationed at the Air Force’s Hurlburt Field, where he was assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron.