Authorities have arrested an 18-year-old man in connection with the fatal shooting of a recent high school graduate who was preparing to attend and play football for Georgia State University.
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The Lee County Sheriff's Office said Raymond Earl, 18, has been charged with murder in the July 11 death of Anthony Onochie, 18, of Columbus, Georgia, per WTVM.
Deputies responded to reports of a shooting during an open house party in the 800 block of Lee Road 197, where they found Onochie suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. He was taken to Piedmont Columbus Regional Hospital, where he later died.
Investigators, members of the Lee County SWAT Team and the U.S. Marshals Service arrested Earl on Monday while executing a search warrant in the Beauregard community, according to the sheriff's office.
Earl is being held in the Lee County Detention Center without bond pending an Aniah's Law hearing.
Onochie recently graduated from Northside High School in Columbus, where he played football, and planned to attend Georgia State in the fall.
"Our hearts break for the loss of one of our own," the Northside football program said in a statement after Onochie's death. "Once a Patriot, always a Patriot."
The investigation remains ongoing. Authorities have asked anyone with information about the shooting to contact the Lee County Sheriff's Office or Central Alabama Crime Stoppers.
