Family Pleads for Answers After Teen Fatally Shot at Clayton County Apartment Complex

A family in Clayton County, Georgia, is asking for the public's help after a 16-year-old boy was shot and killed at an apartment complex earlier this week.

Clayton County police are investigating the death of Jayden Miller, who lost his life Tuesday night at the Oak Run Apartments. Crime scene tape was still visible at the complex as his relatives gathered there to appeal to the community for information.

According to the family, a physical fight broke out and then escalated. They said someone pulled out a firearm, shot Miller and ran into the woods.

Miller's sister, Gabbi Hood Miller, said she struggled to accept what had happened. "Senseless, senseless," she said. "Don't bring a gun to a hand fight and just ran off into the woods."

Relatives described Miller as a helpful teenager who mowed grass and did yard work for neighbors. He was preparing to attend Job Corps, they said, and he enjoyed watching anime.

His cousin, Shakira Terry, said she wants to see change in how easily firearms can be obtained in local communities. "We just got work on that, it shouldn't just be that easy to pick to pick up a gun and shoot someone," Terry said. "That's what Jayden would want us to work on."

Family members also cautioned against turning to weapons to settle disputes. They said people who get guns believing it will solve their problems are mistaken, and that violence "just caused more problems for the family and for you."

Police say no one is in custody, and they have not publicly identified the person who killed the teenager. It also remains unclear what argument led to the fight that preceded the shooting.

The family has set up a GoFundMe campaign to help cover funeral costs. Relatives hope to bring Miller's body back to his hometown in Eastern North Carolina, where they want him to be buried next to his mother.

Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to contact Clayton County police investigators right away.