Neighbor’s Gun Cleaning Kills Teen

Police cars with flashing lights at a nighttime scene near a motel

A teenager playing video games in his motel room was killed by a bullet that pierced through the wall from an adjacent room where a neighbor was cleaning his firearm after a gun range visit.

Quick Take

17-year-old Sheldon Lewis died Thursday night in Room 216 of Live In Lodge extended-stay motel when a bullet from Room 225 penetrated the shared wall
31-year-old Shermarcus Cockran was arrested Friday and charged with involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct after his firearm discharged while he was cleaning it post-range
The incident highlights the hidden dangers of gun maintenance in close-quarters budget housing where thin walls offer no protection from accidental discharge
Cockran cooperated with police and admitted to cleaning his gun after returning from the range, with investigation completed by Friday morning

A Routine Evening Interrupted

Around 11 p.m. on Thursday, February 5, Sheldon Lewis sat in his motel room engaged in an ordinary activity—playing video games. Across a paper-thin wall in Room 225, his neighbor Shermarcus Cockran had just returned from a gun range and begun the routine task of cleaning his firearm. In seconds, that mundane moment transformed into tragedy. A single gunshot discharged during cleaning, the bullet tearing through the shared wall and striking Lewis as he sat unsuspecting. By the time police arrived, the teenager lay dead in his bed, the victim of what authorities quickly classified as a tragic accident rather than intentional violence.

The Arrest and Charges

Gwinnett County Police responded swiftly to the scene at the Live In Lodge on Stone Mountain Highway. Detectives processed the crime scene Friday morning and identified Cockran as the source of the discharge. Officers arrested him and filed charges of involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct. Cockran, a 31-year-old Lilburn resident, cooperated with investigators and admitted to cleaning his gun after his range visit. His first court appearance was scheduled for the weekend following his arrest, with the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office handling the proceedings.

The Motel Wall That Failed to Protect

Extended-stay motels like Live In Lodge cater to transient residents seeking affordable temporary housing. These budget facilities typically feature thin walls and minimal soundproofing—a practical trade-off for low nightly rates. Lewis and Cockran’s rooms sat adjacent to each other, separated only by a standard interior wall never designed to stop a bullet traveling at high velocity. The motel’s layout became the silent accomplice in this tragedy, enabling a firearm accident in one room to become a death sentence in another.

A Community Grapples With an Unthinkable Loss

Motel resident Markell Smith, who witnessed the aftermath, expressed shock at the incident’s nature. “I ain’t never heard a bullet just going through the wall,” Smith said, noting that the victim was simply enjoying a video game. While Smith referenced past motel shootings in the area, none had occurred in this manner—a bullet penetrating from one room to another. The incident left residents reconsidering their safety and their choice to stay at the facility, while Gwinnett County investigators urged anyone with information to contact the police tip line at 770-513-5300.

This tragedy underscores a reality often overlooked in gun safety discussions: accidents happen not in moments of recklessness or criminal intent, but during routine, everyday activities. A man cleaning his gun after lawful range use. A teenager enjoying a video game. Two ordinary people separated by a wall that proved far more fragile than anyone imagined. The consequences of that single moment will reverberate through families and a community for years to come.