GBI investigates shooting of 14-year-old in Thomson

THOMSON, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - A 14-year-old boy was shot last week in Thomson the day before the school district cracked down on student behavior at football games.

Thomson Police Chief Courtney Gale said the shooting occurred Aug. 29 on Second Street and the student was transported to a hospital. He has since been released.

The Thomson Police Department requested the assistance of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is the lead agency in the case.

Anyone with information on the case is urged to call the GBI at 706-595-2575 or the Thomson Police Department at 706-595-2166. Tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-8477, online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.

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The shooting happened a day before the school district announced restrictions at home football games.

The McDuffie County School System announced Friday that students under 16 would need to be accompanied by an adult to attend a home football game.

In addition, students are expected to be seated unless they are in line for concessions or visiting the restroom, the district said.

Standing is also prohibited in aisles and other areas that present safety issues.

The district didn’t explain what prompted the restrictions, but the announcement came after the shooting and as other school districts in the area deal with potential danger at football games and elsewhere on school grounds.

Across the state line in South Carolina, Aiken County Public Schools implemented a policy of not allowing conventional bags or backpacks – only clear plastic bags of a certain size.

And in Richmond County on Friday night, someone at the Hephzibah-Laney football game was found with a handgun. The 17-year-old wasn’t a student at either school and was wanted in connection with an armed robbery.