Grovetown police arrested a local mother who drove the getaway car Friday night while her 15-year-old son shot six times at a man he had argued with at Circle K, authorities said.
Arleta Bryant-Allen, 40, and the juvenile son were both arrested on felony charges after the shooting at the gas station on Horizon South Parkway and Wrightsboro Road. Amazingly, no one was injured, but bullets from the gun struck the vehicle occupied by victim Bernard Singleton Jr. and his wife. Several other bullets struck the gas station building, Grovetown Police Chief Jamey Kitchens said.
Singleton told police that he got into an argument with several males inside of the store.
“The altercation continued outside where further words were exchanged,” Chief Kitchens said in a press release. “Mr. Singleton stated that he then retrieved a handgun from his wife who had arrived at the scene. At that time, the males retreated to a vehicle in the parking lot driven by their mother.”
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The shooter’s mother then circled the parking lot and positioned her vehicle behind Singleton’s vehicle where more words were exchanged, including between her and Singleton.
Bryant-Allen then exited the parking lot onto Horizon South Parkway at which time her 15-year-old son fired six rounds from a .380 handgun out of the rear window.
Bryant-Allen turned herself in along with her 15-year-old son several hours later, and the mother surrendered the firearm.
The juvenile suspect was subsequently charged with two counts of aggravated assault and weapon possession. Bryant-Allen was charged with two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and weapon possession. She went to the Columbia County Detention Center while her son was transported to the Regional Youth Detention Center for his.
Greg Rickabaugh is the Jail Report contributor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at greg.rickabaugh@theaugustapress.com
