In the summer of 2018, Lamont Adair Jr., a 24-year-old aspiring professional basketball player from Capitol Heights, Maryland, was tragically killed. On the afternoon of August 8th, Adair was walking in the 6600 block of Greig Street in Seat Pleasant when he was fatally shot. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Just days before his death, Adair, a father to an 11-month-old son, had been a volunteer mentor at a Hoops4Peace youth summit, where he spoke about avoiding street violence.
He was preparing to travel to China to play for a basketball team there.
The investigation into Adair's murder led to the arrests of two men. The first suspect, 27-year-old Franklin Scott of Capitol Heights, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Authorities stated that the shooting was targeted and stemmed from a personal dispute. An apartment complex's security camera captured the crime on video. According to court documents, Scott was driving a rented car when he approached Adair and opened fire. He then exited the vehicle and shot Adair again as he was on the ground.
A second suspect, 23-year-old Olajuwon Jackson of Fairmount Heights, was also taken into custody and charged with first- and second-degree murder. Investigators alleged that Jackson was in the car with Scott and drove the vehicle away from the scene after the shooting. Cell phone records and car rental records were used to connect both men to the crime.
In November 2019, both Franklin Scott and Olajuwon Jackson accepted plea deals. Scott pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison with all but 50 years suspended. This sentence means he may become eligible for parole. Jackson pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact and was sentenced to six years in prison. The motive for the murder was revealed to be jealousy; Scott was reportedly upset that Adair had appeared in a social media post with Scott's girlfriend. Adair's family expressed their heartbreak and disappointment with the plea deals, believing the sentences were not severe enough for the violent loss of a beloved father and community role model.
