In the early morning hours of Sunday, October 8, 2017, the life of Kent Wimberly Jr., a 28-year-old man from Americus, Georgia, was tragically cut short. The incident unfolded outside the Astro Club, located at 153 Sunset Drive, just beyond the city limits of Americus. Authorities were called to the scene around 4:15 a.m., where they discovered Wimberly's body. It was apparent that he had sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the head. The Sumter County Deputy Coroner confirmed his death at the scene.
The investigation into the shooting was a collaborative effort between the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Region III Americus Office and the Sumter County Sheriff's Office, with the Americus Police Department also responding to the initial call. Their work led to the identification of a suspect, Cordera Shantee Leverett, a 30-year-old resident of Americus. Leverett was apprehended by the Georgia State Patrol during a traffic stop in Marion County on the Sunday following the incident. He was subsequently charged with felony involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct and was held in the Sumter County Jail.
The aftermath of the shooting was fraught with emotion at the scene. When Wimberly's girlfriend, 23-year-old Alexeus Brianna Mercer, was informed of his death, she became involved in an altercation with a sheriff's deputy. As a result, Mercer was arrested and charged with obstruction of law enforcement officers and criminal trespass. She was taken to jail and was released on bond the following Monday.
