On a Thursday evening, December 22, 2022, the life of Tyrone Gregory Hardesty Jr., a 35-year-old African American male, was cut short in Atlanta, Georgia. He was found inside a vehicle at The Peaks at MLK apartments, having sustained a fatal gunshot wound. Atlanta police officers responded to a call just before 9:15 p.m. and pronounced him dead at the scene.
Hardesty, born on October 12, 1987, in Fort McClellan, Alabama, was a father and a man with a passion for music, performing under
the names 'So Fly' and 'Omerta Fly'. He was also known for his community involvement, including volunteering for Hosea Feed the Hungry. On the night of his death, Hardesty and his girlfriend were at their apartment dropping off items. He had gone back to his car to retrieve something when the shooting occurred. His girlfriend reported hearing several gunshots and the sound of someone running through the breezeway on the floor above them.
The investigation into the shooting led authorities to a suspect. Witnesses reported that the gunshots originated from the third floor of the apartment complex. Evidence suggested the shooter had been positioned at the end of the third-floor breezeway, overlooking Hardesty and his vehicle in the parking lot. Two shell casings were discovered in this area, with two more found near Hardesty's body and car.
Utilizing surveillance footage, investigators were able to track the alleged shooter to a nearby apartment. In January 2023, the Atlanta Police Department's fugitive unit arrested then 19-year-old Marquez Williams in connection with the killing. Williams was subsequently charged with murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and was booked into the Fulton County jail.
