In the late summer of 2019, the life of 19-year-old Marcus Quintin Sims Jr. was tragically cut short in a burst of violence. On the morning of September 9th, in the parking lot of the Springdale Glen Apartments in Clarkston, Georgia, Sims was shot multiple times. When police officers responded to a call about a person being shot, they found him at the scene, already deceased. The male victim's death marked the fourth homicide in Clarkston that year.
The investigation into the shooting quickly led Clarkston Police to a suspect. Within hours of the incident, investigators identified 17-year-old Ozell Craft as the alleged shooter. In a move that highlighted the swiftness of the investigation, Craft was taken into custody at Tucker High School, where he was a student. The arrest was carried out with the assistance of the DeKalb County School Police to ensure the safety of other students and staff.
Following his arrest, Ozell Craft was charged with felony murder and one count of aggravated assault in connection with the death of Marcus Sims Jr. Authorities indicated that Craft and Sims were known associates, though a clear motive for the fatal shooting was not immediately determined and remained under investigation. At the time of the incident, Craft had another open case for aggravated assault from an arrest in late July of the same year, for which he had been released on bond just weeks before the shooting. The investigation into Sims' death was still considered ongoing after the arrest, with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation assisting in processing the crime scene.
