Hinesville teen shot at apartment complex; police say witnesses won’t talk

HINESVILLE, Ga. (WTOC) - A 17-year-old was shot at a Hinesville apartment complex Tuesday night, and investigators say the people who were there are not providing any information. Police say it’s a pattern that’s making it increasingly difficult to solve violent crimes in the community.

Hinesville Police responded to Tattersall Village Apartments just before midnight after receiving multiple reports of an argument involving several individuals, followed by gunshots. Witnesses also reported seeing a vehicle leave the area immediately after the shots were fired.

Officers learned separately that Zykere Porter, 17, had arrived at a nearby residence with a gunshot wound to the arm. A family member transported him to a local hospital for treatment. The injury is believed to be non-life-threatening.

Detectives with the Criminal Investigations Division responded to process the scene, where they recovered multiple shell casings of different calibers, along with other items of evidentiary value. No arrests have been made.

‘Nobody wants to be a snitch’

Hinesville Police Chief Tracey Howard said the lack of cooperation from witnesses is not new.

“Nobody wants to be a snitch,” Howard said. “And in certain instances, violent behavior can come as a result of that.”

Howard said his department has trained professionals who know how to legally protect witnesses and confidential informants, and that the risk of being identified as an informant is lower than many people believe. Still, he said fear of retaliation continues to keep people silent — even victims themselves.

“One of the things that we’re running into a lot of late is very little information that we’re able to gather regarding the actual events in situations where there would appear to be multiple witnesses, multiple complainants, and particularly multiple victims,” Howard said.

The shooting at Tattersall Village Apartments is the latest in a series of incidents in which large groups of young people were present but investigators have struggled to piece together what happened.

Nearly two months ago, an 18-year-old was fatally shot at Irene Thomas Park in Hinesville.

Jamontae Barnes, of Hinesville, was shot in the abdomen after gunfire erupted among a group of approximately 25 to 30 teenagers gathered at the park. A teenage girl was also shot in the leg during that incident. No arrests have been made in that case.

Howard said rising summer temperatures are contributing to the violence.

“There’s a strong correlation with rising temperatures,” he said. “People have a tendency to be less tolerant, easier to become angry, even violent.”

Investigation ongoing

Investigators are canvassing the Tattersall Village area, reviewing doorbell and surveillance camera footage, and checking license plate reader data for suspicious activity around the time of the shooting.

Howard urged anyone with information — including those who may have seen something on social media — to come forward.

“We’re going to keep casting the net and remain open to finding viable evidence and the right people to come forward and tell us what happened,” Howard said. “That’s the best way to keep it from happening to another kid.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Hinesville Police Department Criminal Investigations Division.