MPD not receiving much help from the public following Duplex City shooting

A 15-year-old boy underwent a four-hour surgery on his spinal cord earlier this week in Atlanta after being shot on Grandview Drive (Duplex City) on Tuesday afternoon.

Back here in Baldwin County, the Milledgeville Police Department is investigating the shooting, with little help from the public, despite the fact that the incident took place in broad daylight and shortly before 5 p.m.

"I would describe the level of cooperation from the public right now as zero," said Chief Dray Swicord. "It's frustrating."

The boy, Caden Bridges, was shot once at close range, and "the bullet grazed his arm and went in under the rib cage," according to the GoFundMe page that's been set up. Added the update on the GoFundMe page: "It hit his liver, spleen, and left kidney. It also fractured his L1 vertebrae leaving him with no movement in his legs at this time. He underwent a surgery today to check for intestinal damage and look at the organs affected."

The incident marked the second time this summer that a juvenile has been shot in Duplex City, located off of Ivey-Weaver Road and River Ridge Road. Back on June 13, a 16-year-old boy and his puppy were both shot around 9:30 p.m. Multiple shell casings from two different handguns – a 40 caliber and a 9 millimeter – were recovered in the roadway in the 2310 block of Laura Court.

Swicord said that the MPD does not believe that the two shootings are related. At the same time, however, Swicord added that there "is a core group of young men in the neighborhood, most of them juveniles, who have been really feuding with each other recently."

^^^CLICK HERE to apply!!!

At this point, Bridges may or may never walk again.

"He is okay. Still in pain, he still has no movement right now but they told us that the blood flow had to get down there and everything to see if he will get movement back. He can still feel so hopefully with a lot of work we came get him to walk," reads the most recent GofFundMe update. "Still to early to tell at this point. Surgery went good and they fused his vertebrae so he is in pain from that as well as pain from the other surgery."

Anyone who has any information, please call 478-414-4090 and ask to speak to a detective or can call Macon Regional Crimestoppers at 478-742-2330. 

^^^CLICK HERE for more