In the spring of 2022, the life of 30-year-old Keonta Quintez Rouse was tragically cut short in Macon, Georgia. On the afternoon of May 19th, the Bibb County Sheriff's Office received a call reporting multiple gunshots at the River Park Apartments located at 720 Tidewater Circle. Upon their arrival at approximately 1:12 p.m., deputies discovered Rouse unresponsive in front of building 30. He had sustained several gunshot wounds and was pronounced deceased at the scene by the coroner.
The investigation into the death of the Macon man quickly began, with law enforcement officials working to piece together the events that led to the fatal shooting. This incident marked the 24th homicide in Macon-Bibb County for the year 2022. As authorities processed the scene and interviewed potential witnesses, the community was left to mourn the loss of a father, son, and brother. His family remembered him as a man who could always make people smile.
A significant breakthrough in the case came a week later, on May 26, 2022. Acting on a tip from Crimestoppers, investigators with the Bibb County Sheriff's Office, in collaboration with the U.S. Marshals Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force, located a suspect. Just after 2:00 p.m., they apprehended 27-year-old Brian Christopher Horton Jr. at an apartment on Merriwood Drive. Horton was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Bibb County Sheriff's Investigations Office for questioning.
Following the interview, Brian Christopher Horton Jr. was charged with the murder of Keonta Rouse. He was subsequently taken to the Bibb County jail where he was held without bond. In addition to the murder charge, it was reported that Horton also had outstanding warrants for other cases. The arrest brought a measure of progress to the investigation, though the legal proceedings were just beginning.
