In the late hours of Valentine's Day in 2022, a young man's life was tragically cut short in southwest Atlanta. DeAndre Franklin Hall, a 21-year-old male, was walking home just after midnight from his job at a nearby Krystal when he was fatally shot. The incident occurred around 12:40 a.m. on Delowe Drive, where responding officers found Hall with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His mother, Keila Hall, endured the heartbreak of holding her son as he took his last breath.
Family members described him as a hardworking individual who was helping his mother with bills. He would have celebrated his 22nd birthday the following month.
The Atlanta Police Department's homicide unit immediately began an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Five days after the incident, investigators were able to identify a suspect and secure arrest warrants. The investigation led them to 24-year-old Cleveland Lamont Williams. On February 23, 2022, members of the Atlanta Police Department's fugitive unit took Williams into custody without incident.
Cleveland Lamont Williams was charged with one count of felony murder and three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the death of DeAndre Franklin Hall. Following his arrest, Williams was to be booked into the Fulton County Jail. Law enforcement officials did not immediately release further details regarding a potential motive for the shooting or whether Hall and Williams had any prior acquaintance.
