Boy found dead with multiple bullet wounds hours after celebrating 16th birthday

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Dayton Willis was found with multiple gunshot wounds (Image: WTVM WS)
Dayton Willis was found with multiple gunshot wounds (Image: WTVM WS)

A teenager tragically killed only hours after he celebrated his 16th birthday was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds.

Dayton Willis was found in front of a baseball field on the morning of August 31 in Columbus, Georgia. It was the same night he was supposed to be celebrating his 16th birthday with his family.

Responding police officers found Willis dead and were unable to resuscitate him. He was pronounced dead by Muscogee County Deputy Coroner Dustin Harrelson at 1.36am.

He was living in Columbus with his aunt and it was in her car that the teenager was found. There is no evidence the vehicle was involved in an accident.

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Boy found dead with multiple bullet wounds hours after celebrating 16th birthdayDayton Willis struggled at school, but worked hard to get into the 10th grade (WTVM WS)

His grandmother told WTVM that Willis was a troubled teen and often struggled at school, finding things like peer pressure tough to deal with. She said the pair had a motto that was "Never give up. Never give up."

Willis' grandmother said she was happy at least their last interaction was a happy one and that she was proud of him.

Police are treating the incident as a homicide and are appealing for information.

It comes as another boy in Pennsylvania was found in a dumpster, forcing police to hunt for a shooting suspect.

Boy found dead with multiple bullet wounds hours after celebrating 16th birthdayPolice are treating the incident as a homicide (WTVM WS)

Hezekiah Bernard was found in a dumpster in West Philadelphia on August 23 by a sanitation worker. The body was found inside a closed plastic container.

The sanitation worker found the container the night before, but did not open it until the following day.

"During the drive, the container overturned and the remains of a male were observed inside that container with a plastic wrap around the head and with a comforter over him," Staff Inspector Ernest Ransom said.

It is believed Bernard died between 24 and 36 hours before his body was discovered.

"Like any parent, it hurts to see a young man or woman dead on the street at the prime of your life," Ransom said. "That's why it's so important to bring these people to justice."

Tributes by friends and family have been paid publicly to the 12-year-old.

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"I thought he just wasn't answering the phone, but I wind up finding out he was dead and they put him in a dumpster. Like that was out of pocket and it really hurt," said Jyshair Montgomery, 16, told Fox at a balloon release in the child's memory.

Benjamin Lynch

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