In the early morning hours of Saturday, December 10, 2016, a fatal encounter unfolded in the parking lot of the Cream Sports Bar and Lounge in Hinesville, Georgia, claiming the life of Eric Turner, a bouncer at the establishment. The incident occurred at approximately 2:30 a.m. as Turner and other security personnel were clearing the parking lot after the club had closed for the night.
An argument had broken out, and the bouncers, including Turner, intervened, telling three men in a Chevrolet to leave the premises. During the attempt to de-escalate the situation, one of the men in the vehicle brandished a firearm, which was promptly knocked away by another bouncer. Immediately following this, the driver of the car, identified as Marcus Gunn, allegedly produced another gun and fired three shots. One of the bullets struck Turner. He was transported to Liberty Regional Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.
Following the shooting, Hinesville police officers who were in the vicinity for crowd control discovered the wounded Turner and called for emergency medical services. A traffic stop was conducted on Harrison Drive, where authorities apprehended Marcus Gunn and recovered a weapon from his vehicle. The other two men who were in the car with Gunn were reportedly released.
Marcus Gunn was subsequently arrested and charged with murder and aggravated assault in connection with Eric Turner's death. He was initially denied bond. Later, a bond was set at $250,000 and then reduced to $125,000. In July 2017, Gunn was released from jail after posting bond. The case caused significant pain for Turner's family, with his mother expressing her grief and anger in a victim's impact statement, noting that her son left behind two daughters.
