Three teenagers believed to be connected to a 17-year-old’s body that was discovered by lawn care workers near a high school in a small town in North Carolina were taken into custody on Friday and charged with murder, authorities confirmed.
Because all the parties involved are juveniles, the Surry County Sheriff’s Office is not making the identities of the suspects public, the sheriff’s office said in a press release.
“Incidents involving young adults and children weigh heavily on all first responders involved, especially the ones who had direct contact,” Surry County Sheriff Steve C. Hiatt said.
“Please keep the first responders of this incident, as well as the families of these four individuals, in your thoughts and prayers,” he said.
The suspects—two 17-year-old males and a 16-year-old female—were arrested and charged with first-degree murder, armed robbery, and conspiracy to commit armed robbery.
Detectives with the sheriff’s office and special agents of a criminal investigation division from the state’s bureau of investigation worked together in apprehending the suspects after deputies discovered the teenager’s body with an apparent gunshot wound and called for assistance in the investigation.
Gardener’s employed with the Armfield Civic Center, which is located directly across the East Surry High School, notified police that they’d found human remains, the sheriff’s office said. All parties involved were students at the high school.
School officials temporarily locked down their campuses until law enforcement determined there was no longer an active threat, police said.
The case remains under active investigation and no additional information will be released at this time.