Two Arrested After Gunfire Strikes Homes in Valdosta Neighborhood

VALDOSTA, Ga. — Two people were arrested Wednesday night after gunfire struck several homes in a Valdosta neighborhood and an 18-year-old man suffered a graze wound, according to the Valdosta Police Department.

Police said E911 received multiple calls at approximately 10:10 p.m. on May 13, 2026, reporting gunshots near the 1700 block of Forsyth Place.

Several callers also provided descriptions of individuals seen running from the area after the shooting, authorities said.

When officers arrived, they located an 18-year-old man with a graze wound to his arm. Investigators also discovered multiple homes had been struck by gunfire.

Officials said no other victims were found at the scene. The injured man was treated and released by South Georgia EMS.

According to police, an officer responding to the area later located two men matching descriptions provided by witnesses.

Authorities said the officer observed a handgun in the waistband of one of the men, identified as 24-year-old Jalen Yalon Prester.

Police said as the officer attempted to secure a second firearm, both men fled on foot.

Additional officers and a K-9 unit from the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office responded to assist in the search. Prester was later found hiding in a wooded area and taken into custody without further incident.

Investigators said Prester also provided officers with a false name and date of birth.

At the scene of the shooting, detectives identified 17-year-old Darian Keith Edwards as one of the suspects accused of intentionally firing toward a house where the 18-year-old victim had been standing.

Officers later arrested Edwards at his residence without incident.

Both suspects were booked into the Lowndes County Jail.

Edwards faces charges including Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, four counts of Criminal Damage to Property in the First Degree, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, Possession of a Firearm by a Person Under 18, Discharge of a Firearm on or Near a Street, and Reckless Conduct.

Prester was charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Giving False Name and Date of Birth to Law Enforcement, and Obstruction of an Officer.

Police said the investigation remains ongoing and additional charges may be filed.