APD: 16-year-old nephew of Rayshard Books arrested for auto crimes days before his death

ATLANTA, Ga. — Atlanta police have confirmed that a 16-year-old boy who was shot to death was under investigation for multiple auto-theft-related crimes at the time of his death.

Around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, officers responded to the 1000 block of Cato Street. They arrived to find Jakari Brooks, who had been shot.

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Brooks was pronounced dead at the scene.

APD has not yet released the circumstances surrounding his death, citing the ongoing death investigation.

On Thursday, multiple law enforcement sources confirmed to Channel 2′s Michael Seiden that Brooks was arrested last weekend after he attempted to sell a stolen electric scooter on Facebook Marketplace. 

The sources also confirmed that they believe Brooks was part of a crime ring that’s been targeting people who own scooters and then selling them online.

Brooks’ criminal record is not subject to the Open Records Act because he was a minor.

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In an interview with Channel 2′s Audrey Washington, the teen’s mother, Stardrecous Brooks, said she was still trying to figure out what happened to her son. She also added that her son was in the area to get a scooter when he was shot.

”It was about a scooter,” she said. “I don’t know what the situation is.”

Police haven’t released any information about a possible motive. It’s also unclear if they’ve identified a suspect or suspects.

It’s unclear if his death is connected to those incidents.

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