GWINNETT COUNTY, GA — The Gwinnett County community is grieving after a 17-year-old boy, Sheldon Lewis, was tragically killed by a stray bullet at the Live In Lodge Extended Stay on Stone Mountain Highway. The fatal incident occurred Thursday night while Lewis was playing video games in his motel room, highlighting the devastating consequences of a careless act.

Gwinnett County police responded to Room 216 around 11 p.m. and found Lewis dead from a gunshot wound. Investigators determined that the bullet came from the neighboring Room 225, where 31-year-old Shermarcus Cockran of Lilburn had been cleaning his firearm after returning from a gun range. According to police, Cockran told detectives the gun discharged accidentally, sending the round through the shared wall and striking Lewis, who was in bed at the time.

Cockran has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct and remains in custody, awaiting his first court appearance. Crime scene investigators processed the scene Friday morning, collecting evidence and documenting the tragic circumstances that led to the loss of a young life.