Two charged under new drive-by shooting law after Athens home targeted by gunfire

By Joe Johnson

A pair of 19-year-olds who were arrested for allegedly shooting at a home in Athens last week have been charged under the state’s new drive-by shooting law.

Jabarris Lamar Brown of Cone Drive and Santonieyo Eugene Cooper of Dowdy Road were arrested in connection with a November 10 shooting in which up to 20 rounds were fired at an occupied home on Nellie B Avenue, with some bullets striking an interior wall next to where a woman was.

In addition to aggravated assault they were each charged with drive-by shooting, a law that went into effect in July.

The penalty for a conviction is a minimum prison sentence of five years and a maximum of 20.

Jabarris Lamar Brown

Santonieyo Eugene Cooper

According to reports, the shooting was related to a dispute Brown was having with a local company that had towed his car and his intended target was a tow company employee.

In addition to the gun crimes Brown was charged with terroristic threats for phone calls he made prior and the drive-by shooting.

He and Cooper being held in pretrial detention without bail.