16-year-old killed friend after argument over video game controller, sheriff says

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. — A Douglas County community is dealing with a terrible situation: A teenager is accused of killing his friend after an argument over a video game controller.

According to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, Gabriel Martinez Cruz, 16, has been charged in the death of his friend, Gonzalo Lamar Gonzalez-Ibarra, 17, at the Lakeside Mobile Home Park off Bankhead Highway in Lithia Springs around 12:45 a.m. Monday.

[GoFundMe page for victim's family]

There were several kids inside the home at the time of the shooting.

Channel 2's Tom Jones learned the teen suspect was arrested and charged with malice murder and tampering with evidence.

The victim's mother, Tammy Gonzalez, said she has never felt pain in heart like she did when three of her children told her that her youngest son was gone.

"It's hard. It's hard, it really was," she said. "They told me that my baby was killed."

Douglas County deputies said Cruz murdered Gonzalez-Ibarra over a minor disagreement.

"They were arguing over a controller for a video game," Sgt. Jesse Hambrick said.

"Do you believe that?" Jones asked the victim's mother.

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"No sir. No sir. I really don't believe that," she said. “I believe it was robbery. All they had to do was ask, and my son would give.”

Deputies said a neighbor heard a loud noise then saw several teens running from the mobile home. The neighbor called 911.

Deputies said they found Gonzalez-Ibarra dead from a gunshot wound inside. One of the people inside the mobile home that night said the teen was not murdered.

“It was a complete accident. Nobody was in danger,” friend Bilal Williams said.

Gonzalez said detectives told her that money was missing from her son's wallet and the wallet was a few feet away from his body. She thinks Cruz isn't the only one deputies should have locked up.

“I think they need to get everybody in the house when my baby got killed,” Gonzalez said.

Deputies said Cruz manipulated the scene.

"Why would they even bother my son, trying to move my son after they killed my baby?" Gonzalez said.

The investigation remains open.

Cox Media Group