On the night before Thanksgiving, November 22, 2018, 20-year-old Traveon Quandarius Smith, an African American male, was fatally shot at a Citgo gas station on North Stone Mountain Road in Lithonia, Georgia. The incident was captured on surveillance video, which proved to be a critical piece of evidence in the ensuing investigation.
According to arrest warrants, the shooting was a premeditated ambush. Smith was intentionally lured out of a vehicle by one of the suspects. Once he was out of the car, he was shot multiple times in the back and head, leading to his death at the scene. The brutal nature of the crime and the swiftness of the events shocked the local community.
The DeKalb County Sheriff's Office quickly launched an investigation. Within days, authorities identified two suspects: 24-year-old Monty Marquies Nelson and 35-year-old Richard S. Pierre-Hayes, both from the nearby city of Stone Mountain. Arrest warrants were issued, and both men were taken into custody at their homes without incident by the DeKalb Sheriff's Fugitive and S.W.A.T. Units.
Both Nelson and Pierre-Hayes were charged with felony murder for their roles in the death of Traveon Quandarius Smith. Following their arrests, they were booked into the DeKalb County Jail. The legal proceedings against the two men commenced, with the prosecution aiming to secure justice for Smith and his family. The case highlighted the ongoing concerns about gun violence in the area and the profound impact such acts have on the community.
