In the early morning hours of a Sunday in East Dublin, Georgia, the life of a promising high school athlete was tragically cut short. Leontae Coates, a 16-year-old male, was fatally shot on September 20, 2020. Deputies responded to a call of gunfire around 6 a.m. in the 200 block of Chase Drive, where they found Leontae deceased at the scene.
A freshman at West Laurens High School, Leontae was an active and dedicated member of the school's football and wrestling teams. His coaches and teammates remembered him as a player who was working his way up to a starting position on the varsity football team, a testament to his hard work and potential. His sudden death sent ripples of grief through the school and the wider community, who mourned the loss of a young life full of promise.
In the aftermath of the shooting, two individuals were arrested. Lashundria Madison, 36, who was identified as Leontae's mother, was charged with aggravated assault against Roderick Brown. Brown, 33, faced charges of simple battery and criminal trespassing. While arrests were made in connection to the incident, reports indicated that neither Madison nor Brown were charged with Leontae's death.
A celebration of Leontae's life was held the following Saturday at the West Laurens High School Football Stadium, a place where he had spent many hours pursuing his athletic passions. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death continued as his family and community were left to grapple with the senseless loss of a son, a teammate, and a friend.
