Police arrested a suspect in connection with the murders of a teen boy and girl who were found dead behind a supermarket in Roswell, Georgia.
Jeffrey Hazelwood allegedly shot Natalie Henderson and Carter Davis on Monday, August 1, in a Publix parking lot. The victims — both 17 — who were discovered by a delivery driver at around 6 a.m., suffered severe head trauma, according to Roswell police. Authorities say that Henderson and Davis arrived at the shopping center between 2 and 4 a.m. Their parents told officers they thought their children were still at home in bed, according to WSB-TV.
Two days later, Hazelwood, 20, was charged with two counts of murder.
While police say they are not releasing any information on a possible motive, they believe he acted alone, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Roswell Police Chief Rusty Grant said cellphone records and messaging apps played a key role in identifying the suspect, according to the Journal-Constitution.
Davis was set to begin his senior year at River Ridge High School, where he played lacrosse and football. “We are all devastated by this tragic news,” Barbara Jacoby, a spokesperson for Cherokee County School District, said in a statement. “Carter was an energetic student who was known as a friend to all. He always came to class in a good mood and with a smile on his face. He excelled in the classroom and was always willing to help out classmates.”
Henderson, also a soon-to-be senior, was an honor-roll student at Roswell High School and a member of the award-winning Color Guard. Her obituary described her as a “smart, funny, sassy and strong” woman who sang, played guitar and volunteered “countless hours” to animal rescue.
It is not clear if Davis and Henderson were in a romantic relationship.
Hazelwood lived in Roswell with his grandparents, according to WSB-TV. He previously worked at a local Michael’s arts-and-crafts store.
On Tuesday, August 2, just one day before his arrest, Hazelwood shared a photo on social media of himself standing by a pool. “Swimming is one thing that holds me down,” he wrote. “The water is home. If I could breathe water instead of air I would pass beneath the waves to live.”