A teen has been shot and killed after knocking on the wrong door, police have said.
Nineteen-year-old Omarian Banks had recently moved to a new apartment building in Georgia, Atlanta. According to police, Banks was dropped off by a taxi at around 12.30am on Friday morning and, as he wasn't familiar with the area, he went to the wrong apartment.
He was reportedly speaking to his girlfriend on FaceTime when he knocked on the door of the apartment, where Darryl Bynes lived, and moments later, walked away.
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Police say Bynes, 32, grabbed a gun and went onto his balcony to confront Banks. Cops have said the pair had a short conversation and Bynes then shot the teen.
Speaking to WSB-TV2 Bank's girlfriend, Zsakeria Mathis, said her boyfriend had been coming home after spending the evening with his mum
She said: "He got in the Lyft and 12:26 a.m. That's when he called me and said, 'open the door'. And that was the last conversation we had."
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Revealing the horrific phone call, Mathis said: "I just hear faint voices and a gunshot, and then I hear him yell.
"And I heard all the fear in his voice, and he was just, 'I'm sorry! I'm at the wrong door!' The man was like, 'No, you're not at the wrong door!' And he shot two more times and then it was silent'."
His heartbroken mother Lisa Johnson told the news outlet: "I'm having a hard time understanding that someone could be that mean and hurt a child."
Adding: "It's no joke. You could be here today and gone tomorrow. Stop and think before you pull the trigger."
A family member of Bynes spoke out to defend his actions, claiming that he was just looking out for his family and that he shouldn't face a murder charge.
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His cousin told a WSB-TV2 reporter: "He is an innocent father. He has five kids. He was protecting his family. His truck was stolen earlier this week, right now, he's just trying to protect his family."
Bynes reportedly told police he was acting in self-defence, but he has been charged with murder, according to court documents.
He's currently held at Fulton County Jail.
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