Sheldon Lewis, 17, Killed by Bullet Fired Through Gwinnett County Motel Wall; Shermarcus Cockran Charged

Shermarcus Cockran

A teenager, Sheldon Lewis, 17, tragically lost his life Thursday night at the Live In Lodge on Stone Mountain Highway in Gwinnett County after a stray bullet fired from the next room struck him while he was playing video games.

Gwinnett County police report that 31-year-old Shermarcus Cockran, a resident of Lilburn, had just returned from a gun range and was cleaning his firearm in Room 225 when it accidentally discharged. The bullet traveled through the shared wall, fatally striking Lewis in Room 216 around 11 p.m.

Cockran now faces charges of involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct. Detectives and crime scene investigators spent Friday morning collecting evidence at the motel.

Sheldon Lewis

A neighbor, Markell Smith, expressed his shock:
"I ain't never heard a bullet just going through the wall. They were just playing a video game, and a bullet just come through the wall. It's sad because no parent should lose a child."

Police confirmed Lewis’s identity but are continuing the investigation. The incident underscores the dangers of firearm mishandling in shared residential spaces.

Authorities urge anyone with information related to the case to contact Gwinnett County Police.