In the late hours of February 23, 2020, a violent encounter in a Tucker, Georgia motel room tragically cut short the life of 37-year-old Lavar Quanne Ellis, an African American male. The grim discovery was made just before midnight at the Stone Mountain Inn and Suites on Mountain Industrial Boulevard, where DeKalb County police officers found Ellis deceased from a gunshot wound to the head. He was alone in the room when authorities arrived, the silence of the scene belying the deadly struggle that had taken place.
The investigation into the shooting revealed a narrative of a robbery gone fatally wrong. Ellis had been involved in a shootout with another man, identified as 36-year-old William Legrand of Snellville. In the exchange of gunfire, both men were hit. While Ellis succumbed to his injuries inside the motel room, Legrand, despite being wounded, was able to drive himself to a nearby hospital for medical attention. His injuries were not life-threatening.
Following an investigation into the deadly altercation, authorities determined that the incident was the result of an attempted robbery that escalated into a violent and fatal confrontation. After being treated for his injuries, William Legrand was taken into custody by law enforcement. He was subsequently charged with felony murder and criminal attempt to commit robbery in connection with the death of Lavar Ellis. Legrand was booked into the DeKalb County Jail to await legal proceedings.
