On a Saturday afternoon in Atlanta, Georgia, tragedy struck as 37-year-old Sutton Tennyson, an African-American male, was fatally shot and killed at his home on November 3, 2018. The incident unfolded in his garage where he was reportedly having a conversation with another man. The discussion escalated into a heated argument which culminated in the other individual shooting Tennyson multiple times before fleeing the scene in a car.
Police officers responding to a call of shots fired discovered Tennyson deceased inside his open garage with multiple gunshot wounds.
The investigation into the homicide quickly pointed to a suspect, Michael Williams. A week after the shooting, Williams, then 44, turned himself into the Atlanta Police Headquarters, accompanied by his attorney. Despite his surrender, Williams' attorney stated that his client denied all allegations against him. Authorities charged Williams with murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. During a court hearing, a detective testified that a witness claimed Williams shot Tennyson as he was walking away. The argument was said to have been over money.
An autopsy later revealed the brutal nature of the crime, showing that Tennyson had been shot 13 times with a. 45-caliber firearm. The gunshots struck his chest, arms, legs, and stomach, with three of the bullets causing immense damage to his heart.
In April 2022, Michael Williams was convicted of the murder of Sutton Tennyson. Following an emotional testimony from Angela Simmons, the mother of Tennyson's son, Williams was sentenced to life in prison. In addition to the life sentence for murder, he received an extra 15 years for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He will be eligible for parole after serving a minimum of 30 years in prison.
