In the winter of 2015, the life of 14-year-old Tashuntis Roberts, a female freshman and cheerleader at Southwest High School in Macon, Georgia, was tragically cut short. On the evening of Sunday, December 13th, she was at her home on Lindwood Drive when a car pulled up. At least one person got out and unleashed a barrage of gunfire into the house. Tashuntis was struck by multiple bullets and was later pronounced dead at a local medical center.
The shooting was not a random act of violence but rather a targeted attack.
Investigators quickly determined that the intended target of the shooting was Tashuntis's brother. The incident was believed to be an act of revenge stemming from a previous conflict and was described by the Bibb County Sheriff's Office as gang-related. Tashuntis, an innocent bystander in her own home, was caught in the deadly crossfire. The day before the fatal shooting, the home of the man who would become the primary suspect had also been shot at.
The investigation led authorities to 18-year-old Terrance Hampton. A warrant was issued for his arrest, and he was charged with murder and aggravated assault. U.S. Marshals apprehended Hampton at a Waffle House on Riverside Drive. During a subsequent court hearing, evidence was presented against him, including 9mm rounds found at his residence that matched those at the crime scene. Investigators also discovered a text message on Hampton's phone that read, 'Hey, bro, I heard you killed that girl. You're stupid.' A witness also told police that Hampton had expressed a desire for retaliation after his own home was shot at and later lamented that he believed the wrong person had been killed. Following this preliminary hearing, a judge ruled there was sufficient evidence to hold Hampton without bond. He remained in custody at the Bibb County jail.
