In a tragically brief encounter that unfolded on a Thursday afternoon, 25-year-old Kareem Mano lost his life in the parking lot of a USA Grocery on Rocky Creek Road in Macon, Georgia. The fatal incident, which occurred on February 23, 2017, stemmed from a dispute over a cellphone.
The altercation began when Mano confronted 20-year-old De'Andre Malik Thomas about a locked or faulty iPhone that Thomas had reportedly sold to the sister of Mano's girlfriend.
The argument between the two men, captured by the store's surveillance camera, escalated quickly. At one point during the heated exchange, Mano was seen drawing a large handgun from his pants, but he did not fire it and instead tucked it back into his waistband. Shortly after, Thomas produced his own firearm and began shooting at Mano.
As Mano turned to flee across the gas station forecourt, Thomas continued to fire multiple shots, pursuing him. Mano collapsed behind an SUV at a gas pump and died at the scene from a fatal gunshot wound to the chest. The entire violent episode was recorded, providing investigators with a clear view of the events.
The day after the shooting, De'Andre Malik Thomas surrendered to authorities at the Bibb County Sheriff's Criminal Investigative Division. He was subsequently charged with murder. During his first court appearance, Thomas was denied bond. At the time of the shooting, he had been out on a $65,000 bond for a robbery charge from the previous year. For the Mano family, this was the second son they had tragically lost to gun violence.
