By Joe Johnson
Four members of an Athens street gang have been indicted for murder in connection with a deadly shooting in a Five Points neighborhood.
Authorities said the March 5 shooting targeted a house on Northview Drive, where a party was being held. More than 40 rounds reportedly were fired during an exchange of gunfire between occupants of a car and people attending the party.
Killed during the barrage of gunfire was 24-year-old Ja’Vanni McDavid, identified by police as a member of the Red Tape Gang, or RTG.
The crime scene is across the street from UGA’s Foley Field baseball stadium and the incident triggered a “timely warning” to alert members of the university community about potential danger.
The indictment charges four members of the Everybody Killa street gang with felony murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and first-degree criminal damage to property. Investigators believe the shooting stemmed from an ongoing dispute between that group and the RTG gang.
Named in the indictment are Jaden “Jay Savage” Appling, Anthony :Nick” Brown, Xzydric “Sun Sun” Faust, and Glendarius “Glen” Tate.
The indictment was secured Tuesday in Clarke County Superior Court by Ryan Piechocinski, a prosecutor from the state attorney general's gang unit.
All of the defendants are being detained pending trial without bail being granted.
The real tragedy is that all were headed to NYC for key jobs Goldman Sachs.
Arthur's comment below supersedes anything I might say. But I'll try. I have dear friends with children who live a block from this crime scene. And the elementary school I attended is just feet away. To this simpleton's mind, if a person is admitedly a part of a street gang, and it sure sounds like we know who lots of members of both the Red Tape Gang and the Everybody Killa Gang, let's go round these bastards up, let 'em sit in a stinky jail cell while we try to figure out which of many, many crimes they should be incarcerated for. Athens does not deserve to have a single member of a single street gang walking free.