An Atlanta teenager was shot a whopping 15 times when he tried to leave his gang —and survived the ordeal. Orenthal Childs was gunned down by members of the Young Mob gang and left for dead on Feb. 15.
“Never since I’ve been in law enforcement have I seen someone shot 15 times and live,” said U.S. Marshal Eric Heinz. “[He] told the other members of the gang ‘Hey look I want to go straight, be law-abiding’ and they weren’t happy with it.”
The gang members assumed that they had killed Childs and fled the scene.
After being lit up with bullets, the 19-year-old began crawling and moaning , grabbing the attention of people who helped him to safety.
Those who offered him a helping hand are now in protective custody.
Atlanta Police, and agents from the U.S. Marshals Counter Gang Unit, announced that two teens have been arrested in the shooting, one of which is only 16. The second suspect, Farrakmad Muhammad, 19, was busted Tuesday (Feb. 26) hiding out in Tennessee. “Both suspects are confirmed members of the Young Mob, which is a subset or affiliate of the Goodfellas street gang,” said Heinz.
Childs’ family members hope the attack will discourage other youngsters from joining gangs. “My message is change before it’s too late,” noted a relative. “Because the same way they did him, somebody could do them.”
Authorities are still trying to track down the other suspects involved in the shooting, and are asking anyone with information on the case to call Crime Stoppers 404-5-TIPS (8477).
—
Photo: Atlanta Police Dept.
