CLASSIC CITY NEWS

By Joe Johnson Jabarris Lamar Brown Jr. has become the first person in Athens to be convicted and sentenced under the new state drive-by shooting law, In addition to convicting him of that crime, a jury found the 19-year-old guilty of five counts of aggravated assault and one count of making terroristic threats, The drive-by shooting law went into effect in July 2025 and the penalty for conviction is a minimum prison sentence of five years and a maximum of 20. Superior Court

By Joe Johnson Akasha Niema Brooks, 23, of Whitehead Road, was arrested on the night of April 8th for allegedly shooting at a 27-year-old resident at Rolling Ridge Apartments. The victim said that she and Brooks had an earlier confrontation during a road rage incident. Brooks was charged with aggravated assault. A Magistrate Court judge on April 10th granted Brooks $7,000 bail, barred her from from the victim’s apartment complex, and ordered her to undergo mental health eval

By Joe Johnson Members of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department’s Crisis Negotiation Team last week responded to a mutual aid request from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office involving a standoff with an armed man, Identified as 30-year-old Lavonia resident Alan Joseph Chandler. “Negotiations were ultimately unsuccessful and Chandler was involved in a law enforcement involved shooting and died as a result,” according to a report by the negotiating team. The Georgia Bur

By Joe Johnson Police are investigating a man’s complaint that another driver pointed a gun at him in a road rage incident on Atlanta Highway last week The 47-year-old Winder resident said it happened at around 6 pm in the area of the Georgia Square mall and the suspect was driving a box truck which, according to police, was registered to Bad Wolf Trucking in McDonough. The victim managed to take a photo of the driver, which police sent to the trucking company for their inves

By Joe Johnson The man who shot his former girlfriend inside a Baxter Street dentist office last year has pleaded not guilty to an attempted murder charge. Carl Eugene Clark, 74, of Winterville Road, tried to kill 47–year-old Sheila Mobley in December when he went to her job at McRae Family Dental and shot her multiple times in the chest and face. She survived and Clark later shot himself in the face in a failed suicide attempt, Huwas arrested and subsequently charged in a

This news release was issued by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation:: At the request of the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, the GBI is investigating an officer involved shooting in Hull, Madison County, GA, involving an off-duty GBI agent. The GBI is also investigating an aggravated assault that occurred before the officer involved shooting. Earnest Howard, age 47, of Athens, GA, was shot and injured during the incident. No agents were injured. Howard has been arrested and c

By Joe Johnson An Athens man has been found guilty of shooting his marijuana supplier and was sentenced to 25 years with the first 15 years to be served in prison. Following a trial in Superior Court, a jury last month convicted 52-year-old David Ray Wilhelm of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Judge Eric Norris sentenced him to 15 years in prison and 10 on probation. The crime occurred in January 2025 when Wilhelm shot 54-year-old

The following was released Thursday night by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department On March 26, 2026, at approximately 2:21 PM, ACCPD officers responded to a report of an armed robbery in the 400 block of Minor Street. Officers located the suspects at 700 US-29, Athens, GA. Stolen property was recovered following the initial investigation. Emory Simmons, a 22-year-old male of Athens, GA; Zachariah Roberts, an 18-year-old male of Colbert, GA; Sherod Porter, a 22-year-old

Desousa By Joe Johnson The Jackson County man who shot three people in downtown Athens has been charged with a second count of murder following the death of another of his victims. Mark Anthony DeSousa committed the murders In the early morning hours of March 14th, when he shot a friend and two other young men in a parking lot off North Jackson Street. Clayton Adams, 22, of Hull, died at the scene and when Desousa was arrested later that day in Jackson County he was charged w

Desousa By Joe Johnson In the early morning hours of March 14th, Mark Anthony DeSousa shot and critically injured a friend of his and killed two other young men in a parking lot off North Jackson Street in downtown Athens. Authorities have not released a motive for his actions, but arrest warrants filed in Superior Court describe the deliberate manner in which the 22-year-.old Jefferson man gunned down his victims. Desousa killed Dylan Bentley “by walking up to him and shoot

By Joe Johnson A shooting in downtown Athens early Saturday morning left one person dead and two others hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. The incident happened at about 2:20 am in a parking lot in the 400 block of North Jackson Street, according to Athens-Clarke County Police spokesperson Lt. Katie Jenkins. She identified the victim who was killed as 22-year-old Clayton Adams of Hull. No arrests have been made.

Kilpatrick By Joe Johnson Arthur Kilpatrick reportedly shot Tishauwn Mahaffey Sunday night during a dispute over a parking space in front of his home in the Nellie B community of east Athens. According to police, the incident began when Kilpatrick’s wife returned from the store to find parked in front of her apartment a car occupied by Mahaffey’s mother. An argument over the space ensued, and Kilpatrick came out of the apartment the apartment with a gun. “The three began gett

By Joe Johnson Several bullets were shot into a home on Towne View Place early Monday morning, The residence was occupied at the time by four adults and a baby, but no injuries were reported, Ten rounds were fired into the home and they struck the kitchen wall and a pantry door. Police said they recovered 10 spent 9mm shell casings several feet away from a back window through which the shots had been fired. A possible suspect was identified, according to police,

By Joe Johnson A 21-year-old man has died after shooting himself during a domestic violence incident at his home on Highland Park Drive The incident reportedly happened on the night of March 9th when Dylon Scott Dooley “snapped “ and threatened his girlfriend and their two young children with a knife, The woman managed to leave the home with her 2-year-old son but her 5-month-old daughter was still inside when Dooley shot himself in the head, When police entered the home they

Kilpatrick By Joe Johnson The Athens-Clarke County Police Department is investigating a shooting that left a man critically injured Sunday night. Police say officers responded to a reported shooting on Cone Drive at approximately 10:05 p.m. when they located a 36-year-old man from Athens who had been shot in the leg. Officers rendered aid until the arrival of National EMS paramedics who transported him to the local hospital, where he was listed in critical but stable conditio

Kyron Zarco’-Smith Released today by the Georgia Attorney General’ Office ATHENS, GA – Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr today announced that Desmontrez Mathis, (aka “Ten”), 24, of Athens, has been sentenced to life with the possibility of parole, plus 30 years in prison, followed by 10 years of strict probation, for the murder of three-year-old Kyron Santino Zarco Smith. A Western Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge sentenced the defendant on Feb. 6, 2026. ORIGINAL RELEA

Kyron Zarco Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr’s office has released the following: ATHENS, GA – Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr today announced that Desmontrez Mathis, Jayden Brown, and Dakious Echols have been convicted for the murder of three-year-old Kyron Santino Zarco Smith, who was shot and killed in a drive-by in Athens on March 8, 2024. Smith was watching tv on his couch at Hallmark Mobile Home Park when he sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the chest. A nine-ye

By Joe Johnson A county grand jury has indicted an Athens man who allegedly tried to kill a former girlfriend when he shot her inside a dentist office last month. Carl Eugene Clark, 74, of Winterville Road, was charged with criminal attempt to commit murder in a 9-count indictment that was filed Tuesday in Clarke County Superior Court. Sheila Mobley was a 47-year-old employee of McRae Family Dental on Baxter Street on December 1st when Clark shot her multiple times in the ch

By Joe Johnson Athens police said they are investigating an aggravated assault at Whataburger on Atlanta Highway that reportedly occurred early in the morning of January 14th. A 36-year-old employee told police that while preparing to close the restaurant a group of about 10 males and females were hanging around harassing her sitting on the counter and “acting strange,” When the group left she went outside to throw out some trash and one of the females tried to run her over.

Released this afternoon by the Gwinnett County Police Department Norcross, Ga., Jan. 16, 2026) – The Gwinnett County Police Department Homicide Unit has arrested a 21-year-old man in connection with the death of a child. On January 8, 2026, officers were dispatched to the 6000 block of Green Hill Drive regarding an incident involving two juveniles. One of the juveniles was shot and died as a result of the injuries. It was discovered the juveniles located a firearm and contact