Shooting after prom kills 1 and injures 3 in south Georgia town

FITZGERALD, Ga. (AP) — A 15-year-old cheerleader was killed and three other people were injured in a shooting at a party after a high school prom in south Georgia, according to police.

A 17-year-old male has been charged with murder in the shooting early Saturday in Fitzgerald, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said. Fitzgerald is about 80 miles (130 kilometers) south of Macon.

Chyell Park was pronounced dead at a local hospital. She was a freshman, Irwin County High School Principal Jared Luke told WALB-TV.

“I’m just numb. I can’t even wrap my head around it,” Chelsie King, Chyell’s mom, said. “She was 15 with a full life ahead of her.”

Channen Brown, 17, was arrested by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and charged with felony murder, three counts of aggravated assault, and possessing a gun while committing a felony. Under Georgia criminal law, 17-year-olds are charged as adults. A court clerk on Monday said there was no record of Brown appearing before a judge or having a lawyer representing him.

Police on Monday told WALB-TV that additional arrests are possible.

A second shooting took place in Fitzgerald on Monday that caused a lockdown at Ben Hill County schools. Initial reports indicted two people were injured. Schools in Ben Hill County and in neighboring Irwin County both said they were offering counseling to students.

“The loss of Chyell is extremely saddening and tragic,” Luke said in a statement. “She had a loving spirit and always had a smile on her face.”

Two of the other people who were shot, a 19-year-old female and a 15-year-old male, were released from the hospital. A 14-year-old student who was shot in the arm was undergoing surgery Monday.