Rome Schools Take Extra Precautions After Dalton Shootings

Rome City Schools took extra precautions Monday morning after news that Rome High School students were involved in a shooting that killed four young men on Sunday in Dalton.

John Fricks, RCS director of Instructional Technology, Safety and Operations, said the Central Office staff is in schools today to provide additional support and counselors are available for students, if needed.

The Whitfield County Sheriff's Office identified those killed in the incident as 17-year-old Daniel Segura-Cruz and 18-year-old Robert Valencia, both of Rome, and 21-year-old David Antonio Delgadillo and 19-year-old Joshua Pedro Pelico-Pelico, both of Dalton.

The 16-year-old who was arrested and charged regarding the incident still has not been identified.

From the Dalton Daily Citizen :

A 16-year-old suspect from Rome is in custody and has been charged with four counts of murder after a Saturday night shooting left four people dead — including two Rome teens — at Pleasant Grove Park in Whitfield County.

During a press conference Sunday evening, Whitfield County Sheriff Scott Chitwood announced that a 16-year-old male from Rome was in custody and had been charged after four people were found dead.

According to Chitwood, a 21-year-old male from Dalton, a 19-year-old male from Dalton, an 18-year-old male from Rome and a 17-year-old male from Rome were found dead at the scene at Pleasant Grove Park, which is off Cleveland Highway at 1800 Pleasant Grove Drive north of Dalton.

“Sadly, they are a very young age,” Chitwood said. “It’s very tragic.”

Chitwood said the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office can’t yet identify the four deceased individuals or the 16-year-old who is in custody.

“This is a very, very complicated case,” Chitwood said. “There are pieces of the puzzle that we are putting together still.”

According to Chitwood, deputies were dispatched to the park at about 11:14 p.m. Saturday night after reports of shots fired and found the four deceased males.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation assisted with the case.

Chitwood said that investigators know that multiple weapons were involved because there were multiple types of shell casings at the scene.

Chitwood said that “contraband” was found in a vehicle at the scene.

“We have reason to believe that the motive was a robbery,” Chitwood said.

In a morning news release announcing the investigation, the sheriff’s office said it was looking for a pair of vehicles — an SUV and a hatchback that was dark in color. Chitwood said during the evening press conference that the lookout was canceled and the vehicles in question had been found.

“We have no reason at all to believe that it’s gang-related,” Chitwood said. “I think it’s, sadly, just a very isolated incident.”

The sheriff’s office had the park — which contains two baseball fields and a small playground and is encircled by a paved walking track — closed Sunday morning as the scene was investigated. An SUV could be seen in a corner of the parking lot, with evidence markers placed around the scene.

By Sunday evening, the park had reopened, and pedestrians could be seen walking dogs and jogging around the track.

“As developments come forth, as we learn more about the investigation, we will keep you posted and updated,” Chitwood said.

This report is available through our partnership with the Dalton Daily Citizen. Check here for updates .