In the early morning hours of August 20, 2022, the life of Kevin Blackwell, a 28-year-old African American man from Duluth, Georgia, was tragically cut short. The incident unfolded in the parking lot of the Sportstime Bar & Grille located on Satellite Boulevard in an unincorporated area of Duluth. Gwinnett County police officers responded to a 'person shot' call that came in just after 2:30 a.m. Upon their arrival, they discovered Blackwell in the parking lot, having sustained at least one gunshot wound. Despite any efforts to render aid, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Homicide detectives and crime scene investigators were dispatched to the location to piece together the events that led to the fatal shooting. Initially, details were scarce, and the motive behind the attack was not immediately clear. Law enforcement officials believed that an argument may have occurred just before the shooting. They began the process of gathering evidence and appealed to the public for any information that could lead to the identification of the person responsible for Kevin Blackwell's death. The Gwinnett County Medical Examiner's office later officially confirmed the victim's identity.
Several months later, a significant development emerged in the case. In December 2022, Gwinnett County police announced they had identified a suspect. Trayvon Austin, a 24-year-old from Decatur, was charged in connection with Blackwell's death. With the assistance of the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office Fugitive Unit, Austin was arrested and taken into custody. He was subsequently charged with aggravated assault and felony murder. Following his arrest, Trayvon Austin was booked into the Gwinnett County Detention Center, where he is being held without bond as the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting continues.
