GA teen arrested in connection with death of 16-year-old

SYLVESTER – A Georgia teenager has turned to authorities following the shooting death of a 16-year-old.

Release:

UPDATE:

Kortezz Thomas turned himself in at the Sylvester Police Station and is in custody. He was charged with one count of murder. He will be taken to a youth detention center.

ORIGINAL OUTPUT:

The GBI has obtained arrest warrants for Kortezz Thomas, 14, of Sylvester, Georgia, in connection with the death of 16-year-old Ke'aisa Young. Thomas is not in custody and GBI agents are searching for him. The Sylvester Police Department requested the GBI to investigate Young's death on June 15, 2024.

On Saturday, June 15, 2024, at approximately 11:15 p.m., officers with the Sylvester Police Department were called to the 200 block of Shipp Lane in reference to a death. When officers arrived, they found Young suffering from a gunshot wound. Young was visiting friends when the shooting occurred.

Young's body was transported to the GBI Crime Lab where a medical examiner will perform an autopsy.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the GBI Sylvester Regional Investigative Office at 229-777-2080, or the Sylvester Police Department at 229-776-8501. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.

Once the investigation is complete, the case will be turned over to the Tift Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office for review and prosecution.