Senior Skip Day shooting: 2nd teen arrested for murder of Rockdale County high school student

NEWTON COUNTY, Ga. - Newton County deputies have arrested a second suspect in connection with the deadly shooting of a teen during a Senior Skip Day gathering at Denny Dobbs Park on March 19.

Authorities say 17-year-old Tashshawn Lyons is facing a charge of murder, aggravated assault, and more.

The backstory:

Authorities say 18-year-old Justin Etienne of Conyers was killed after bullets started flying at Denny Dobbs Park, across the street from Oak Hill Elementary School along Highway 212 on March 19.

Multiple parents and concerned citizens have contacted FOX 5 to say teens were in the park as part of a "Senior Skip Day." While officials would not immediately confirm that information, they said the shooting took place during a large gathering of students from Newton and Rockdale counties as part of skip day. 

Most weekday afternoons, Denny Dobbs is a pickup spot for students from various schools nearby.  A man who was at the park before the shooting, and did not want to be identified, told FOX 5 Atlanta he saw lots of teens and cars, including some holding what he described as plastic toy guns.

Since the incident, investigators have executed search warrants, collected physical evidence, and worked through conflicting accounts to identify potential suspects.

Last week, the Newton County Sheriff's Office announced that they had arrested 16-year-old Jarvis Hinton Jr. of Covington. He is facing multiple charges, including murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm by a person under the age of 18, and reckless conduct. Hinton is currently being held at the Newton County Detention Center.

What we know:

In a release on Monday, deputies say that they learned that multiple key witnesses - all identified as students - provided false information connected with the students. While witnesses claimed that Etienne was involved in an altercation at the park, detectives say they have now confirmed he was a bystander when the shooting occurred.

Lyons, a student at Rockdale County High School, was hospitalized following the shooting while trying to get away from the scene, officials say. Evidence later pointed to him as one of the two murder suspects.

The teen is facing charges of murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm by a person under the age of 18 and reckless conduct. 

What they're saying:

"Sheriff Ezell Brown and the Newton County Sheriff’s Office continue to extend condolences to the Etienne family. Additionally, Sheriff Brown extends his gratitude to the dedicated men and women of NCSO Criminal Investigations Division, Special Investigations Division and Crime Analyst Unit for their tireless efforts in solving this case," the Newton County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. "He also thanks the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office, including its School Resource Officer Unit and Criminal Investigations Division, as well as the Newton County School System and its School Safety Officers for their assistance throughout the investigation."