In the pleasant neighborhood of west Macon, Georgia, a normal Sunday evening took a tragic turn, forever altering the lives of several families. On the night of October 10, 2021, Percy Welch Jr., a 46-year-old African American male, was in the backyard of a residence on Cherry Avenue when gunfire erupted. The sudden violence left Welch with a fatal gunshot wound to the head. He was rushed to Atrium Health Navicent hospital, where he fought for his life for a few days before succumbing to his injuries.
Two other men were also struck by the gunfire that night. Tavares Devon Lavender, 37, and Althonio Leon Carlisle, 38, were injured in the attack but thankfully survived. The Bibb County Sheriff's Office immediately launched a homicide investigation into the shooting, seeking to piece together the events that led to the deadly encounter. The motive for the shooting was not immediately clear, leaving a community searching for answers and a family grappling with a senseless loss.
As investigators delved into the case, a person of interest emerged. De Quin Ja'Nile Hamlin, 34, was identified as a suspect not only in the Cherry Avenue shooting but also in connection with a separate homicide that occurred in Augusta, Georgia. Bibb County Sheriff's investigators, in coordination with the Richmond County Sheriff's Office, secured warrants for Hamlin's arrest. He faced charges of homicide for the death of Percy Welch Jr. and three counts of aggravated assault for the injuries sustained by Lavender, Carlisle, and another individual in a separate shooting that same night. Hamlin was taken into custody in Richmond County and was slated to face the charges in Bibb County.
