In a tragic altercation that unfolded on a Tuesday afternoon in Macon, Georgia, 24-year-old Shawn Deontae Watts, a male, lost his life. The incident, which took place in the 700 block of Grier Street, also left another man, 18-year-old Cleveland Raines, with gunshot wounds. Authorities were called to the scene behind a duplex where they discovered the two men had been shot. Watts was fatally wounded, while Cleveland Raines was transported to a local hospital for treatment and was reported to be in stable condition.
The investigation into the shooting quickly led to the arrest of 24-year-old Khalil Malik Raines, the brother of the injured man. It was revealed that Khalil Raines had driven his brother to the hospital from the scene of the shooting. Investigators interviewed Khalil at the Bibb County Sheriff's Office, and he was subsequently taken into custody and charged with murder. He is being held at the Bibb Law Enforcement Center without bond.
Further details emerged through court filings, indicating that the shooting stemmed from a dispute over a stolen firearm. According to the account provided, Watts allegedly punched Cleveland Raines and then shot him twice in the leg. As Watts was reportedly pointing a gun at both brothers, Khalil Raines stated that Watts fired at him as he was running away. In response, Khalil Raines pursued Watts and opened fire, shooting him in the back of the head and the shoulder. After Watts collapsed, Raines reportedly put his gun down and attended to his brother, taking him to the hospital.
In the ensuing legal proceedings, Khalil Raines' defense attorney filed a motion to have the murder charges dismissed based on a claim of self-defense. The judge considered whether Raines subjectively believed he was protecting himself and his brother and whether that belief was objectively reasonable. While acknowledging the subjective belief, the judge ultimately denied the motion, ruling that a reasonable person would not have chased down and killed someone who was running away. The judge determined that the question of self-defense should be decided by a jury, allowing the case to proceed to a potential trial where the defense can still present their self-defense argument.
